Sergeant waltzes away from Strictly

19 November 2008 12:28pm

John Sergeant is pulling out of Strictly Come Dancing.

The 64-year-old former political journalist has received strong support from the public despite constant criticism from the judges.

He said in a statement: "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."

John also thanked his glamourous professional dance partner Kristina Rhianoff and his fans for their support.

"I would like to thank Kristina and all those viewers who have been rooting for me through the series," he said.

BBC One controller Jay Hunt added: "We are very sad to see him go."

Earlier this week, judge Arlene Phillips claimed that, instead of rehearsing, John "sits and reads the Guardian".

He came bottom of the score table for the third week in a row with partner Kristina but they were again saved by the public vote.

But Arlene, who had said she would be "desolate" if John won the show, said she did not feel responsible for his departure.

"If you look back, we've actually been quite nice on this programme," she said.

"I'm always sad if a contestant leaves of choice, because you are always expecting to let the public vote them in or out - but John is his own person and he has his own reasons for doing this," she added.

John and Kristina will dance one final dance on this Saturday's show, but will not be part of the competition.

© The Press Association