After Lisa Snowdon claimed today that John Sergeant was adored by his fellow competitors on Strictly Come Dancing, The Daily Mail has claimed that he was in fact detested by the lot of them.

John quit the show this week after claiming that he didn’t think it would be fair on the other dancers if he won, but other sources suggest that his decision was actually made because of the bad atmosphere between the celebrities backstage.

An insider told the Daily Mail: "John knew he had to walk out before he was completely destroyed. He has put a brave face on it but he has been made aware of just how loathed he has become on the show.

"In public, everyone on Strictly makes out how much they love him, but in reality you are dealing with some very fragile egos. They are jealous of him because he has managed effortlessly to win over the public. Some people on the show can’t forgive him for that.

"Naturally, Cherie was devastated to be knocked out, but some of the professionals seemed to take up her cause personally and were distinctly chilly around John after the show," the source added. "I think that was the point when John decided enough was enough."