Craig Revel Horwood had some choice words about Nicola Adams. (Getty)
Strictly Come Dancing star Nicola Adams has already been put down by judge Craig Revel Horwood before she’s so much as set foot on the ballroom floor.
Horwood seemed sceptical about the Olympian’s Strictly chances when asked by Mecca Bingo Online.
“I think Nicola Adams is going to be punching above her weight, darling,” he sneered.
Horwood may have been referring to Adam’s recent admission that “she can’t dance at all”, with the boxer telling BBC Breakfast: “So this is going to be a totally new challenge for me.”
The Strictly judge is known as the panel’s “Mr Nasty”, regularly dishing out scathing criticism of celebrities who don’t quite meet his exacting standards.
Despite his low expectations, Horwood said he is looking forward to seeing Adams perform as part of the show’s first-ever same-sex couple.
Nicola Adams held out for a same-sex partner on Strictly.
It was announced on September 2 that Nicola Adams would dance on Strictly with another woman, breaking with 17 years of BBC heteronormativity.
Adams confirmed that she specifically requested a female partner, saying: “I think it’s really important.”
She added: “It’s definitely time for change. It’s definitely time to move on and be more diverse, and this is a brilliant step in the right direction.”
Though Horwood has been critical, Strictly’s female pros are reportedly falling over themselves to dance with Adams, so convinced are they of her potential.
“The female pros know that forming Strictly’s first same-sex partnership will thrust them into the spotlight like never before,” a source told The Sun.
“But they’re also thrilled by the fact Nicola is a sportswoman because she has the discipline and fitness to deliver a sensational performance.
“She will also have the strength to do lifts during routines, not to mention the fact that she has a sensational physique which will make those routines that little bit sexier.”