Danny fumes over Strictly ‘stitch-up’ as he gets the boot after bullying row
THE BBC was accused of a Strictly stitch-up last night after Danny John- Jules became the latest celebrity to be axed from the show.
The actor, 58, was booted off just days after being accused of bullying his dance partner, Amy Dowden.
The 27-year-old Welsh dancer was said to have been left in tears. He denied the claims, and they hit the dancefloor on Saturday with an energetic samba.
But after it failed to impress the judges, they found themselves at the bottom of the leader board.
John- Jules, who played Cat in the TV series Red Dwarf, was left fuming after losing the dance-off against former England cricketer Graeme Swann.
On social media, he agreed with fans who said the judges had a ‘vendetta’ against him and gave him the lowest score on purpose.
He also retweeted other people’s messages that claimed he was ‘under-marked’ and the result was a ‘stitch-up’.
John-Jules even endorsed a message that suggested Holby City star Charles Venn should have left instead after a fan wrote: ‘Charles Venn has been in the dance off three times, now Danny John-Jules is on the front pages.’
The judges told John- Jules his performance was an improvement on the previous week, but said he had ‘too much energy’.
The actor agreed with viewers who compared the judges’ comments with their feedback to YouTube star Joe Sugg after one fan wrote: ‘That he got criticised for doing what Joe was praised for says volumes.’
Meanwhile his wife, Petula Langlais, who had accused the BBC of ‘throwing him under the bus’ and trying to ‘destroy’ him, supported a fan who claimed the corporation had ‘picked the winner from the start’.
After John- Jules performed his salsa again in the dance-off, judge Craig Revel-Horwood chose to save him. But the other judges voted for Swann and partner Oti Mabuse. Judge Darcey Bussell said his dancing was ‘more finished’.
Asked by Strictly presenter Tess Daly about his time on the show, John- Jules was full of praise for Miss Dowden. He said: ‘It’s been a great experience. I’m just unhappy I didn’t get Amy to where she needed to be. Everything I have done on this show is because of Amy. Her training, her choreography that got me here.’ A tearful Miss Dowden told him: ‘Thank you for delivering such amazing performances week in, week out.’
Pussycat Dolls star Ashley Roberts earned the highest score of the series with a moving tribute to her late father.
The pop star, 37, lost her father to suicide just eight months ago after he suffered years of physical and mental illness.
Head judge Shirley Ballas was moved to tears by the dance, which scored 39 points. Next weekend, the remaining eight couples will take to the dancefloor at the Blackpool Tower Ballroom.