Alright, maybe I'm projecting on him the fact he's had that hip op, but I just watched ITT and he looked thin this week, compared to previous weeks, and even Saturday/Sunday. He looks a bit ... pasty? Pale? He looked like he had make up to disguise bags under his eyes.

I love him to bits, anyway, and much prefer to hear his ad-libbing on ITT. I laughed out loud at his whipping comments.

Probably just in a bit of pain at the moment but I'm not sure if that is from the hip or the other lol

I think he's busy socially as well darling. Awful lot of launches and Christmas PR going on in London at the moment. His Twitter seems to suggest he's at a lot of events.

He does sound like a busy boy.

Don't think he's hitting the fake tan like he usually does and so he looks paler.

I was thinking on Monday that he's looking better than ever, he does have a very good plastic surgeon.

The journey from Lomdon to Blackpool for the weekend must have been a trial for his new hip, he hasn't really had any time off, he needs time to heal properly from a major operation.

My mother couldn't sit for any length of time and certainly not travel, for 6 weeks after an back op last winter so I do not really know how Craig is managing! It's not the same op, and I am sure he is following advice, but then again everybody reacts differently to things.

He gave a comprehensive interview in the paper yesterday, and although it does not seem a full blown replacement, he has underlying problems like osteoarthritis which clearly wouldn't help on the pain front. I do think he might be better to take this year off panto, which generally calls for a lot of energy.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/ar...ke-active.html

I think it's been incredible how he's kept going and not missed a single week. He's as jolly as ever and as funny as ever. Well done Craig, I say.

Oh I agree, I just hope he is pacing himself though.

Yes, does seems amazing his tenacity!

He also starts rehearsing for panto in a couple of weeks. Tough cookies these dancers!

Craig, (according to the Mail medical page this week) has only had a "resurfacing" procedure performed on his hip. That's not as drastic as a hip replacement. But it's a common event.

I think the tennis player Lleyton Hewitt had a similar procedure some years ago and was able to return to first class tennis and continue his career for a while.

Ditto.
Love him.

Yes, I've thought he looks very tense as though he might be in quite a lot of pain. He's always so cheerful on ITT but he did look pale on Monday.

Thanks for all the extra info, all of you. I also didn't realise it was only a resurfacing (haha only? I'd be whining about it for a year ).

I hope he doesn't push himself too hard, anyway, and I was hoping it was only me who'd noticed him looking a bit peaky. And yes, I did think fake tan at first.

Thanks all.

Since his op I've found he looks like he's lost a lot of weight, you can see it in his face - especially the first couple of weeks after his op, I felt really concerned for him. He has been looking better but as you say he looked a bit under the weather on Monday.

He should probably slow down a bit but I suppose he wants to show that no pesky op is going to stop him. He'll know his limits better than anyone, I just hope he heals up properly!

I would bet that Craig is in quite a bit of pain, he is very brave to have kept going on Strictly.

You're right, he does look thinner now. I noticed his clothes weren't as well fitted around the shoulders and neck, but thought that may have been his posture. I feel like twittering at him telling him to slow down.

I doubt he's short of money so why didn't her take time off? Its blinking excruciating sitting for any length of time just after the op and the Saturday he came back, 6 days post op made my hip ache in sympathy. More haste less speed Craig, be kind to yourself.

Yes, he probably is on meds as it transpires his hip was "re-surfaced."
You wouldn't be with a replacement hip as "there's no nerves left."

he's also doing Panto in Southend (well Westcliff) in Decemeber so I guess he has rehearsals for that as well.

Incidentally he looks amazing in drag, seriously
https://www.southendtheatres.org.uk/...5-E944E08893BE

He didn't look the best with his sore hip and the bicycle he was riding into the studio with the broken saddle didn't help him. Think he would learn some sense riding a bicycle after his sore hip

I think he looks the same as usual.

He's still yet to do that dance for the viewers (he was apparently voted the judge most wanted to see dance, though I never saw the voting poll myself) which he said he would do after the hip was fine.

In my youth as a Londoner, I remember people would say they were going to Westcliff, rather than Southend.
It's a bit like, as St Annes is to Blackpool. Much more refined, but difficult to see where one ends and the other begins.

Westcliff more refined than Southend? That's debatable. Admittedly there are some lovely properties in Westcliff, but it also has a large area of some the most downtrodden, seediest, drug-ridden, places in Essex, in contrast to Southend which (like most towns has its "bad" areas) but over the past few years has had a lot of money spent on it to improve its image and has actually become quite a decent place to spend a day.