A major change to this week's Strictly could mean Dan Walker is safe again

A major change to Strictly's judging panel could mean that some contestants will be staying in the competition, in particular Dan Walker...

It was announced on Monday, November 15, 2021, that Craig Revel Horwood would be missing out on judging Strictly Come Dancing this weekend. Craig might not be too sorely missed by competitors as he's never been afraid of giving Strictly contestants very low scores!

A Strictly spokesperson announced, "Craig Revel Horwood has tested positive for Covid-19 and is now self-isolating following the latest government guidelines."

However, the spokesperson did reveal that the judge will be back soon. "While Craig will not be taking part in Strictly Come Dancing this weekend, all being well he will return the following week," the spokesperson said. 

Craig is known for being one of the harsher Strictly Come Dancing 2021 judges and has previously slammed Strictly viewers when he thinks that the voting is just based on fame and not dance-ability. 

Last week, Craig gave Dan Walker a 4 out of 10, while fellow Judges Shirley Ballas and Motsi Mabuse both gave him an 8 and Anton du Beke gave him a 9. 

Similarly, he gave both Sara Davies and AJ Odudu a lower score than the other judges, demonstrating that he sets a higher standard for his scoring than others on the panel.

Now that Craig's stricter style of judging will be missing from the panel, fans believe that some contestants, such as Dan Walker, will have more luck this week in his absence. 

"No Craig on Saturday. That's Dan saved then. They needn't bother with a guest judge either because they're always too generous anyway. #Strictly," said one fan.

"Oh great... Dan will top the leaderboard Saturday then. #Strictly," said another viewer.

"Who’s going to actually score Dan accurately this weekend? #Strictly," asked another fan.

Dan Walker hit back at critics after he was criticized online and viewers shared their amazement that he had managed to cling onto his place in the show. However, without Craig this week it seems that Dan may be in luck and could be judged more favorably by the judges who seem to enjoy his dancing, unlike Craig.

As the competition continues to heat up. there are just 7 contestants left in the Strictly competition and the Strictly Come Dancing 2021 final is fast approaching. 

The competition will continue until Saturday, December 18, when the next winner of Strictly Come Dancing will be crowned. Strictly will continue on Saturday, November 20, at 6.35 pm, without Craig Revel Horwood.