Personality wise, who do you think was funnier? I must admit, even though John was a terrible dancer atleast he was funny and was never offensive/rude and spoke back to the judges and had the decency to quit.

Ann Widdecombe is neither funny nor a good dancer, but she also speaks back every single show. At first I used to laugh, now I just want her off my screen.

According to this Anton Du Beke says Ann will never quit like John..

Ann is funnier because she is perfectly aware she is 100% disaaaarsster, and she works quite hard in rehearsal - and she keeps Anton amused. She will play up to the camera, but when the camera's off, she's another person, according to all reports.

John was unfailingly complacent - took so many rests during rehearsal training that Christina became impatient, was very slow to learn his steps, and deliberately did not push himself hard at all, while other dancers were wearing themselves out. The last straw was the appalling way he launched a press conference (exaggerated sense of his own importance) and later on ITT when interviewed by Claudia, he totally ignored his dance teacher at his side, including the tears coursing down her cheeks. Claudia asked him to acknowledge the lady was upset, and he just shrugged it off saying "She'll be alright." The callous**-***

So, sorry, he was indeed offensive and selfish. What's more, he would never have got to the final anyway because (like Ann now) there were enough rounds ahead for the joke to wear really thin, so his late pullout not only broke the rules of his contract but also meant that another celeb made an unwarrantedly early exit from the show.

Ann may last 1 or 2 rounds at most - surely will be out after her next Latin.
P.S. Would love to be a fly on the wall backstage if Michelle exits first.

Well I much preferred John because I thought he genuinely tried and what he and Kristina did was good fun (I think Kristina choreographed him very well). That said, I don't think anyone should feel obliged to quit - even Ann.

I loved John and the judges comments were appalling towards him. I think they learnt their lesson from that and Ann is getting an easier ride.

I'm finding Ann and Anton hilarious and the indignation on here even more so.

They are/were both obnoxious. I really don't get the John love on here. He wasn't at all witty or appealing.

At least Ann is making an effort. As John went on he didnt make any effort to try to learn to dance.

I think Ann and John would make an ideal couple. Perhaps they could go on a cruise?

John did do the odd not-rubbish dance - I seem to remember him doing an OK waltz in there somewhere, which I don't think could have been said of Ann's waltz.

That just about gives him the edge over Ann for me - that and the fact he didn't deliberately go out of his way to see how stupid he could be the following week. Refusing to improve is very different from going all-out to be crap.

^^^ This.

This represents my views too. John's cha cha was woeful and his paso was certainly more a "take the p*sso" but he did some vaguely decent ballroom dances. He scored 20+ for five out of seven dances - Ann's managed the same thing once in five. Ann's taking the p*sso every time she wobbles out onto the floor. It might entertain some - it might even have entertained me at first - but it's an act that imo is operating on vastly diminishing returns.

And where is your proof of this ? I dont think Kristina has ever been anything but lovely about John and unless you know her personally I dont think you can prove what you say. Arlene made comments on ITT about John being 'lazy' but Kristina strongly refuted it.

Yeah I agree with this, I liked John's waltz and his AS, and he appeared to genuinely enjoy learning to dance.

The thing that bugs me about Ann is she appears to have no interest in learning to dance.

I think John was so much better value than Anne in this competition but he got far more stick from the judges, particularly when being interviewed on ITT etc. He was made to feel bad for remaining in the programme which having been asked on there is just ridiculous. As for James, he was incredibly rude to him because he was knocked out first.

No one will ever replicate the JS phenomen. He was funny because his dry wit was unrehearsed, unexpected and because of the impetus with which the band wagon gathered speed.

Whereas John's wasn't trying to be funny (his humour was natural and impromptu) Ann's ripostes are clearly prepared and lack the spontaneity of true humour.

Neither of them is / was remotely amusing as far as I'm concerned.

Possibly remotely the first show, but the secret of any joke good or bad is knowing when to stop and sadly that appears to be a lost art these days!

Obviously some are still finding it entertaining or else they wouldn't be voting.

To be fair its not up to them to stop is it, its up to the viewers not to vote for them.

Ann is a disaster the likes of which Strictly has never seen before and will never see again (unless they manage to recruit Maggie Thatcher). But the comforting thought is that everyone knows it's a joke, including Ann. Whereas John Sergeant was actually on course to win. The votes for him accounted for half of the votes coming in from what I remember in an article published right after he left. So in that regard I prefer Ann.

It's the viewers I blame....

Ann for me: enjoying the experience and not taking it seriously, but nevertheless trying.

John was hideous- completely believed his own hype and as others said, calling a press conferene is the height of self-indulgence. I can't help but think he adored being in the news rather than reporting it.

I don't really care so long as we keep getting to see Anton's fabulous tightly-clad arse.

john all the way

And that is the whole point - John was naturally amusing he didn't have to play up to the camera.


Has it not occurred to you that John's VT's were deliberately edited to show him lounging around reading the paper. Kristina cleverly choreographed authentic routines that were within John's capabilities and the fact that he learned and performed them is testament to the fact that he put a great deal of effort into the dances - unlike Ann who plays it strictly for gimmicks.


I didn't consider him offensive or selfish - on the contrary he was concerned about the better dancers leaving whilst he went through - again unlike Ann who's made it quite clear that she's there for as long as the voters keep her in and she'll suffer no guilt on behalf of other dancers. Furthermore let us not forget that she hasn't suffered any of the appalling treatment at the hands of judges that was meted out to John - and it wasn't just the judges; who can forget the tirade James and his partner Cherie Lunghi let loose after their exit.

I quite agree. In fact, I think the reason that he left was because other better dancers were being voted out of the show before him.