Strictly Come Dancing bombshell exit sparked more than 2,000 complaints
It's fair to say that few Strictly Come Dancing eliminations pass without controversy. Fans are rarely happy with the outcome, whether they believe the wrong contestants have landed in the bottom two or the judges have made the wrong decision when choosing who to send home. It's a debate that has surrounded the BBC show since it first hit screens in 2004. However, not every controversial exit follows the usual pattern. In 2008, former political journalist John Sergeant joined the competition and he quickly became one of the series' most talked-about contestants.
TL;DR
- John Sergeant's participation in Strictly Come Dancing in 2008 became controversial.
- Despite low judge scores, Sergeant was popular with the public.
- He withdrew from the competition in week 10, calling winning 'a joke too far'.
- Sergeant cited the need to leave before the 'joke' wore thin and before conflict arose.
- His exit resulted in 2,094 complaints from unhappy viewers.
- The BBC offered refunds for phone calls made to vote for him the previous week.
- Presenter Bruce Forsyth felt sorry for Sergeant, acknowledging the awkward position he was in.
- Former judge Arlene Phillips respected Sergeant's decision to leave by choice.
- Former head judge Len Goodman called the exit 'sad' but acknowledged the public's right to vote.