Entertainment

Mollie King ‘doesn’t have natural ability’ says Craig Revel Horwood

She will be dancing from Blackpool next week alongside the other seven remaining contestants.
She will be dancing from Blackpool next week alongside the other seven remaining contestants. She will be dancing from Blackpool next week alongside the other seven remaining contestants.

Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood has rated Mollie King the worst of the remaining contestants, saying “she just doesn’t have natural ability”.

Horwood rated the stars in his “half-term report” for the Radio Times, giving The Saturdays member a grade C.

He wrote: “She just doesn’t have natural ability and that’s hard to overcome.

“I think she could, but it’ll take double the work of everybody else.”

King and partner AJ Pritchard were in the dance off against Aston Merrygold and Janette Manrara the week before last, with the former JLS star controversially sent packing.

But the pair narrowly avoided the same fate last week, making it through to week nine of the dancing show.

Only Ruth Langsford was given a lower score by Horwood at C-, but she left the BBC show on Sunday night with partner Anton Du Beke.

Not everyone was disappointed with the TV presenter’s exit though – husband Eamonn Holmes tweeted: “I am feeling a lot of love for her out there but I am also looking forward to having my wife and our life back.”

Horwood gave singer Alexandra Burke his highest score of the report, with an A, saying: “She can really dance!”

But the judge also wrote: “She needs to polish her footwork. She’ll only get a 10 from me when that’s perfect.”

Show favourite Debbie McGee was given an A-, with Horwood saying he would be “disappointed” if she did not make it to the final.

At the end of week eight Burke topped the leaderboard with 38 points, tied with Davood Ghadami.

McGee, who had previously scored a perfect 40 with partner Giovanni Pernice for her tango, slipped down the leaderboard with 35 points.

The former assistant of magician Paul Daniels said on Twitter she was having an “amazing experience”, and could not believe she was going to Blackpool.

All the remaining contestants will head to the seaside resort for a special show from Blackpool Tower, to be aired on Saturday November 18.

:: The Radio Times is out now.