He is TV’s Mr Nasty on Strictly Come Dancing so it is no surprise that Craig Revel Horwood relishes the opportunity to be a baddie in panto.

This year he will be playing Captain Hook in Peter Pan at the Churchill Theatre in Bromley alongside Britain’s Got Talent finalist and impressionist Paul Burling and ventriloquist Dawson Chance and ‘Willy’.

It will be Craig’s first time in Bromley but not his first as the iconic amputee pirate, having taken on the role in Dartford and High Wycombe in the past two years.

He said: “This is my third time playing Hook, which I absolutely love. It’s a great part – I get to sing, I get to dance, I get to do some funny acting and I get to sing My Way, which I absolutely love.”

He added: “The fact that Hook is so evil and he can get booed off the stage, I think is wonderful.”

It has been a busy 2016 for Craig, going from the Strictly Live tour to playing Miss Hannigan in the tour of Annie and directing and choreographing a new tour of Sister Act starring Alexandra Burke, all before returning to Strictly duties. But he still loves to find time for pantomime and is passionate about the format.

He said: “The best bit about panto for me, I’ve got to be honest, is the kids because the kids come and see it and it informs their theatre choices in the future.

“I think it is great because kids learn about interactive theatre in that way and I don’t want the theatre to die, so I think it is a great, great way of getting children involved in the theatre and live performances so they are not just sat in front of their computer screens all day.

“It is a wonderful, wonderful experience for adults as well because there is a lot of innuendo in it, which is great. So it is win-win all round.”

Before Strictly, Craig was an actor-dancer-singer for 15 years and then a choreographer and director for 20. Being in panto, he said, gives him the opportunity to get back out on stage and let his creativity out.

He said: “It is really fantastic because it gives me the chance to get up and show people I’m not just a person on the telly who is nasty, I’m actually an actor and a singer and a dancer and I love what I do.”

While Craig will be on panto duty throughout the week and on Sundays, he will leave the hook at home on Saturdays when goes back to the day job on Strictly. And it’s shaping up to be a cracker of a series.

He said: “I think the contestants this year are quite phenomenal. I’m very much looking forward to seeing Ed Balls do his stuff and, of course, Judge Rinder. That should be quite an episode, darling - his old hips shaking about.

“Let’s see what he can do when he’s not in his judge’s clothes.”

It will be a bittersweet series for Craig, however, as his long-time fellow judge Len Goodman bows at the end.

The 72-year-old, who was born in Bromley and grew up in south east London, is heading into retirement after 14 series judging next to Craig and Bruno Tonioli.

Craig said: “I am really sad he has made that decision but all good things come to an end and there comes to a point in your life when you want to move on or you want to retire and I completely understand that.

“It is sad losing someone who has been on all 14 series but we are going to celebrate it. That’s what we really want to do.”

Craig Revel Horwood stars in Peter Pan at the Churchill Theatre, Bromley, from December 9 to January 7. Go to churchilltheatre.co.uk

Like our What's On page on Facebook for entertainment news, interviews, reviews and features from across south London.