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.

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Strictly Come Dancing competitor, Lisa Snowdon has revealed that she tried to get John Sergeant to stay on the show.

John quit earlier this week after he realised that he might just win over some of the more talented dancers. But Lisa revealed that John was well loved by his fellow dancers, who wanted him to continue.

"I left this long rambling message on his answerphone, but it turned out that he’d already made his mind up. I was stunned. I’m really sad to lose him, we all are," Snowdon told The Sun.

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Jodie Kidd and Rachel Stevens will be dancing their way around the country in 2009 when STRICTLY COME DANCING – THE LIVE TOUR! takes to the road next January. Jodie and Rachel will join fellow dancing celebrities from the current BBC1 series, Cherie Lunghi and Tom Chambers, along with past favourites Gethin Jones, Jill Halfpenny, Julian Clary and Kenny Logan for the UK tour, where audiences will get the chance to watch their favourite celebrities, dance champions and those all important TV judges.

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Now, I know John Sergeant’s decision to leave Strictly has already been debated to death, but I can’t resist putting my twopennorth in as well.

The judges should all be ashamed of themselves and should realise that this show is watched by millions of people who couldn’t give a toss what their opinion is and actually judges, it’s US who pay your wages!

Since John announced that he was going to leave, several of the judges have furiously back-pedalled. For instance, Arlene Phillips is quoted on the BBC’s news website as saying,

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Strictly Come Dancing presenter, Bruce Forsyth has revealed that he is shocked by John Sergeant’s decision to quit the show.

Forsyth told the BBC: “I feel sorry for John because he was put in the most awkward position. He looked at all the other dancers and knew they were better than him. Over the last few weeks he must have felt guilty in a way.”

Forsyth also has sympathy for the other dancers and judges who were put in a slightly awkward postition.

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Strictly Come Dancing judge, Craig Revel Horwood has branded John Sergeant as having no courage after he decided to quit the show this weekend.

After spending weeks saying that John should not still be on the show, that he couldn’t dance and was making a mockery of the series, Revel Horwood is now saying that John should have stuck it out.

“I was quite shocked to hear the news,” Revel Horwood told Claudia Winkleman on spinoff It Takes Two.

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BBC bosses have revealed that they will refund all the money made from people voting for John Sergeant to win.

John announced his decision to leave the show this morning and rather than get caught up in yet another phone vote scandal, Strictly bosses have confirmed that they will refund all voters who backed John.

A source told The Sun: "We are working out the details now, but we are working out a plan where viewers will be refunded.

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Former Blind Date host, Cilla Black has spoken of her shock at John Sergeant’s departure from Strictly Come Dancing today.

In an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live Cilla said: "I am shocked and I am stunned, I think it is an absolute disgrace because it is a public show, it is supposed to be entertainment – so yes the judges judge on the dancing, but at the end of the day it is the public that pays money for the licence and it is up to them to judge who they want on the show.

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BREAKING NEWS!! John Sergeant has announced that he is pulling out of the Strictly Come Dancing TV show after his endurance on the show made headlines in tabloids and broadsheets alike.

John is leaving the show as he realises that at this point there is a real chance he could win the show, and he wouldn’t want to deprive one of the ‘real dancers’ from that title.

In a statement, he said: “The trouble is that there is now a real danger that I might win the competition. Even for me that would be a joke too far.”

BBC One controller Jay Hunt said: “We are very sad to see him go.”

Sergeant, who was partnered with Russian dancer Kristina Rihanoff said: “I am sorry to say I have decided to leave Strictly Come Dancing.

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Outgoing Strictly Come Dancing contestant, Cherie Lunghi, has accused flat footed John Sergeant of turning the show into a soap opera.

Lunghi also claims that John is only still in the show because of his sexy dance partner Kristina Rihanoff.

Cherie told BBC Breakfast news: “Kristina is a wonderful dancer and makes him look wonderful. I don’t know whether it’s a Marilyn Monroe fantasy or whatever, but it’s a show and it is entertainment.

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At the start of this years series of Strictly Come Dancing, if you had asked me who Lisa Snowdon would have got it on with I would have put money on it being Brendan Cole. However The Sun has reported that Lisa was spotted snogging the face off pint sized American dance expert Brian Fortuna, at Mark Fosters leaving party in a London club.

A source said: “Brian says he loves Britain and wants to meet a British girl.

“Everyone was talking about their kiss a few weeks ago. All the dancers were tanked up on vodka and having a great laugh.

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It seems that even the Strictly Come Dancing judges are resigned to the fact that John Sergeant may just win the show and female judge, Arlene Phillips is urging him to practise harder and earn his place on the team.

Phillips told the BBC: “He’s not making much effort.

“The dancers are constantly working but John just sits there and reads the paper.

“A lot of people are non-stop practising, [but] to achieve what? Why don’t the girls just all throw off their clothes and the boys do a comedy dance? Is that going to help?”

Strictly Come Dancing judges are said to be livid that political broadcaster, John Sergeant has escaped the boot AGAIN, leaving accomplished dancer Cheri Lunghi to go home.

Arlene Phillips is said to be particularly angry at the result of the public vote. An insider told The Mirror: “Arlene thinks it’s a joke that John is still in it. It’s ridiculous that Cherie had to leave as she’s a much better dancer.

“She did see what people saw in John but she thinks that should be over now, it’s getting a bit silly. It’s got to the stage now where it’s time for John to go.”

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Actress Cherie Lunghi tonight became the ninth celebrity to be voted off BBC One’s Strictly Come Dancing.

After performing the cha-cha, the combination of the viewer votes and judges’ scores left Cherie and her partner James Jordan in the bottom two with Lisa Snowdon and Brendan Cole.

Both couples had to perform a second time for the judges’ deciding vote.

Of Cherie and James’s dance the judges said –

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Vincent Simone has told his celeb dancing partner Rachel Stevens to “tone down” her sexy dance moves in case stiff upper lip Britain disapproves.

Rachel, who was in the bottom two for the first time last week, danced a very sexy rumba and Vincent apparently joked that she’d been too sexy.

“What would your grandma say if she saw this?” he told her.

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