Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood donned his hook and sword to officially launch this year's panto.

The dance judge was at the Historic Dockyard in Chatham with co-stars including Britain’s Got Talent impressionist Paul Burling.

Craig returns to The Orchard Theatre in December - after his sell-out run in Snow White back in 2011 as the Wicked Queen - and plays the villainous Captain Hook in Peter Pan.

He said: "I'm looking forward to not being in drag. That was seriously hard work. This will be a lot easier costume-wise.

"I like the freedom of panto, you're not entirely tied to the script and you can have a lot of fun with the audience. In most theatre you can't do that.

"I was a nervous wreck when I first did it, I hadn't performed for 16 years because I'd been directing and choreographing but I enjoyed it so much I signed up for another four years."

Peter Pan runs from December 12 to January 3.

Visit orchardtheatre.co.uk or call 01322 220000.