Strictly Come Dancing’s Craig Revel Horwood forced to halt million pound property development after very spooky problem
STRICTLY Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood likes to put the frighteners on nervous contestants.
But I can reveal the BBC show’s Mr Nasty has a scary problem of his own this Halloween, while seeking planning consent to renovate his historic Northants home.
He has been told to beware of BATS in his £1.8million seven-bed mansion in Peterborough, parts of which date to 1867.
Craig has now had to install bat detectors and carefully managed lighting in the rambling pile to ward off for the spooky pests.
A surveyor’s trouble-shooting report found: “A number of common bat species have been observed utilising the site’s habitats on a regular basis and they may be roosting in the local area.
“To avoid any unnecessary disturbance, it is recommended a lighting scheme is designed both during construction and post-development.
“Bats are sensitive to light and it is recommended that lighting should endeavour to minimise those currently present.
“If a bat or evidence of bats is found at any point during con-struction, then the work should stop immediately and an ecologist consulted.”
Craig bought the house two years ago and local estate agents reckon its value has already gone up by £235,000.
Earlier this year it emerged Craig had built a sweeping staircase for the house — just like in the glizy Strictly ballroom — which leads up to the master bedroom.
But he’ll clearly have to think carefully about any trendy mood lighting, lest those bats come looking for him.
His troubles comes after we revealed how Strictly stars were on alert after eerie goings-on in the Elstree Studios’ toilets.
A show insider said: “One of Strictly’s head honchos was in the loos and the stall doors slammed by themselves. The windows weren’t open so it couldn’t have been the wind, and the toilets sounded like they were weeping — and made odd noises. It was incredibly eerie.”
All hail the love, Hallie
BIG BROTHER evictee Hallie Clarke has emerged to an outpouring of love.
She’s revealed celebs including Towie’s Harry Derbridge and Married At First Sight’s Ella Morgan have been in touch.
Hallie, who feared being targeted by trolls after she came out on the ITV show as trans, said: “The response from every single person that has reached out to me has been amazing, the love has been so real.
“Ella told me I could reach out to her any time if I want to talk, she is so lovely, she’s so genuine, she’s amazing.
“Harry from Towie, he commented and that was amazing.
“It has just been love, there is the odd DM that I’ll come across being like ‘you man’ but I just ignore it.”
Hallie also revealed “sparks are flying” between show lovebirds Henry Southan and Jordan Sangha – a storyline that has the nation on the edge of their seats.
She said: “Henry and Jordan are very compatible and cute, it’s amazing and their banter is jokes.”
Ollie: Let me voice thanks
OLLY Murs raises the curtain on his final series of The Voice this weekend.
The Sun revealed last month how he has been axed from the ITV talent show, and this pre-recorded run is his last in the red spinning chairs.
Now he has opened up about how much the show means to him, ahead of its airing on Saturday at 8.25pm on ITV1 and ITVX.
He said: “The music industry is a rollercoaster of emotions. I feel so proud of this show. It means a lot to me because that was once me. When I watch the contestants, I know what that feeling is like. I’m someone that came from a show, too, so this is my environment and it’s where it started for me.
“I’m sad to be leaving but so happy to have been a part of the show.”
Host Emma Willis added, sadly: “We are one big family. Everyone is really settled, as we all know what we are doing. If we didn’t have all these brilliant people taking part then we wouldn’t have a show.”
Tess was all Twix ‘N’ Tween
TESS Daly has revealed how far she has come since her days as a young model.
Recalling her time living in Barcelona with another model from her agency, she said: “We were so poor we would share a Twix on a Friday night.
“There were ladies of the night downstairs in the door-way conducting business.
“I realised early on that if you want your own Twix you’ll have to pay for it. If you haven’t got much, you work hard to get what you want. I’m grateful I had that fire in my belly.”
But her life now, with Radio 2 DJ husband Vernon Kay, is very different.
She said: “My kitchen’s always been the best place for an impromptu post-dinner party. My husband usually has a Nineties playlist going. You have to have a dance around the kitchen island!”
Vinnie’s cream of crop
IT’S lock, stock and two smoking wheelbarrows as Vinnie Jones opens the gates to his West Sussex farm for the first time.
The former footballer and Hollywood hardman has followed in the footsteps of Jeremy Clarkson, Alex James and Kelvin Fletcher by seeking a quiet life in the country after years at in showbiz, and losing his wife Tanya to cancer.
And his efforts to renovate 2,000 acres of West Sussex land have been caught on camera for new discovery+ (CORR) series Vinnie Jones In The Country – as I exclusively revealed in May.
A TV source said: “In this new series, Vinnie hopes ambitious renovations and his love of nature will become his salvation. But reality bites when his chaotic drive and ever-moving goalposts start to upset his gang at the farm. Builder Wobbly and PA Emma find themselves struggling with a legend who can sometimes be his own worst enemy.
“Through a series of funny, emotional and sometimes shocking hard knocks, can Vinnie learn to rebuild a life, with those now closest to him?”
The series will stream weekly from November 20.