Seriously can we stop having post saying dancers like Sergeant and Widdecombe

John tried, he wasn't very good but he tried, he produced a lovely waltz and enjoyed learning every dance

that woman however wanted to change the very nature of dances, and made all the effort of a sloth on a go slow

John ought to be mentioned with the poor dancers ,the Joe Calzahge, Brian Capron, Quentin Wilson, and half dozen others

What I say is sign up here if you want to see him rehabilitated in Strictly history

You are absolutely right, shefair - John did his best, which is more than anybody in their right mind could say about the BOD.

For some reason, he appealed to the public in a way that no previous no-hoper had ever done, frightening him into believing he might actually win the bloody thing. I'm sorry he pulled out, for all sorts of reasons, not the least being that I don't think he would have won.

You're right - he gave us a sweet waltz. His partnership with Kristina also totally won me over as I had been a bit meh about her before. I shall never forget that paso and Kristina being dragged like a sack of potatoes - for me, it was genuinely funny in a way that 90% of Anton's antics were not. Perhaps that's why he's been lumped in with the comedy contestants? And that would be unfair - he should definitely be in a category marked 'Brave Triers'.

There were rumours John was told the voting figures the week before he went, that he was well in the lead; so that would be a bit scary.

Thats interesting.

You're 100% right OP - I've posted my (rather long winded) views on another thread.

I think the fact that he threw in the towel for no good reason that is when he went down in my estimation, maybe fo others too. And I don't believe he would have won even if he was leading the phone votes when he left. I think by the semi final more people would have voted for the better dancers.

His paso is still my favourite ever, ever, ever on Strictly ever. I can still see him like Christopher Robin dragging Winnie the Pooh across the floor.

The trouble is with no John Sargeant there would have been no Widdy and no Nancy. His popularity is the reason we had "joke" contestants.

But luckily, with new producers, they've reined back on the contestants and at least got people who will try (well Jerry apart. )

John & Kristina's Samba was the cutest thing. I've lost count of how many times I've rewatched it.

He may well have been in the lead voting-wise at the time he left, but he wouldn't have won. Viewers would eventually have gone with the better dancers. I'm sure of it.

The working hard part is important to me, but not paramount. A couple can train 70 hours a week, but unless they arouse my interest on or off the dancefloor then they won't get my vote.

I would imagine that at some point last year Russell would have been in the lead voting-wise as well, though.

I think you have to remember the events in the context of the series - which was one of the most bad tempered in the Strictly series - and the context of the week, which included much clothes rending, Strictly dying and James having several ... little moments.

John is an intelligent witty man who tried his best - there is no way he should be lumped in with a lazy bigot!

Plus, John shares my love of the west coast of Scotland, so he is in a league of his own!

.....just read this back, and it may look to the outsider that I am stalking him. I would like to assure all FMs that I am not!

My gut reaction was "No, leave him with the other jokers" but after reading the OP, I would be inclined to say "Yes".

I don't understand how some people can keep criticising John for pulling out when he did: did they really not understand the explanations he gave? Do they still see sinister ulterior motives? John thought the competition was getting Pythonesquely "silly" and it was affecting not only his partner Kristina but also all the other contestants.

But throw all the flak you like at the Widdy, whose deplorable non-cooperative attitude to the competition right from the off got up everybody's collective nose, except that of the ridiculous and highly annoying Terry22.

Agreed. In ten years, the closest we've ever come to a joke contestant winning was Series 1 - and to be honest I don't think that should count.

(Personally I look on Series 1 in the same way as I do the 1996 Doctor Who movie. It's embarassing and I try to pretend it never happened.)

100% agree

John tried, he wasn't very good but he tried.

The widdinator on the other hand; don't get me started I've no wish to go to Bognor so early in the season

I loved John, he tried so hard and it's because of him that I started to love Kristina, she was adorable and so respectful of him. Count me in on the rehab of dear John Sergeant

Very true! I usually think of Series 6 as my least favourite (can't count the first series as I didn't see it), but nobody could accuse it of having been dull. We had Gary Rhodes playing Karen Hardy like a piano; Andrew Castle pecking Ola; Jodie and her bestie Ian; Cherie's rumba; the disastrous Hayley Holt; Mark's pecs; AUSTINWOZROBBED; Bacofoil; Rachbot; Tom's showdance; and that paso! What's not to like?

I've always maintained that John would never have won, as we tend to get more sensible as the final looms and vote for the good dancers, and yet... given the bonkers nature of the whole series, and that my favourites (Jodie & Ian) went out early, perhaps I would have voted for John had he still been there. That's a thought...

I'd go further actually and say that he was a tad better than most of the dancers you've mentioned - he produced a sweet waltz, his tango wasn't bad and nor was his AS. HIs latin sucked but his paso was amusing and lets face bar Tom, Rachel, Austin and Cherie's rhumba - most people's latin sucked that year. He didn't even really outstay his welcome that much ablitly he probably ought to have gone before Heather and Cherie but that's it. He just got slaughtered because he stayed longer than the judges would have liked and everyone was scared he was going to win (I believe that sooner or later Tom and/or Austin's fanbases would have backed him into the dance-off where he would have lost) but I believe he geuninely did SCD to have fun unlike Ann who I believe did it to publise herself or if she did do it to have 'fun' - set strict limits what the fun was and seemed to treat the whole thing with contempt - JS didn't.

I think Jodie & Ian lasted a reasonably long time - went two weeks before the quarters which considering how many ruddy people were in that series was quite a long time. I would have liked to have seen them last another week - I think she had a good tango in her (she nailed the attitude if not the steps for the paso) and I could have predicted Christine would be rubbish based on her paso and Jodie's jive was fun. However I think they were due to go after that - maybe after Lisa - but like Lisa - ballroom good - latin really not.

I agreed with Len on the one hour Newsnight ITT the day he pulled out when he said he didn't believe personally he'd have made the final. I don't think so either, but of course the effing DO played a part and that series was extremely pompous and bad tempered, not to mention extremely fawning to the judges 'wise words' according to Bruce.

Only Austin and Erin kept my interest and when they went..well. Was also annoyed at Christine still being there and dragged about when poor Jodie went. As for John, I didn't mind whether he was there or not. He did some nice stuff. But I don't think he'd have made it anyway.

But nancy he surely stuffed it to judges - and oh how I enjoyed their frustration.

It was hilarious. I loved it especially as they really kept royally screwing up who they booted in the DO so they could hardly claim any dance superiority, well not as far as I was concerned. No, not my favourite series, but I did gain some satisfaction in odd ways. Even Bacofoil was a classic of schadenfreude.

Yes, it was extremely pompous. Craig: "It is my job to educate the viewers. "

It was extremely bad-tempered. Bruno was the least bad, merely saying to John's face that his dancing stank.

Arlene went behind BBC to brief the Sun that John shed two stone by sitting down reading newspapers and doing no dance work, that Kristina shed her clothes to help keep John in. Arlene paid for it with her job the following season.

Len was grumpy and resentful even from California that GBP did not vote as he wished.

Brucie was openly sarcastic in John's face saying John shouldn't be there.

Craig made it obvious if John fell into the dance-off he would be made mince-meat of. I suspect this was why John thought it better to exit by sidestepping the vipers. John also did not want any more anonymous abusive phone calls answered at home by his wife who was a very private person.

After John resigned the nasty bitter taste in the mouth did not fade. Half the country was stangling the other half over this disagreement, in my view mostly following the example set by 3 judges and 1 Bruce Forsyth.

Sorry, but I won't be signing up to rehabilitate John because I was not a fan when he was on the show and have different memories of what happened at the time.

I certainly don't think he tried his best (his Waltz was okay though), but he's a very smart man and judging by the way he staged his dropping out of the show, his years of experience as a political journalist and being around spin doctors clearly showed.

Has everyone forgotten the arrogance of his comments about the public vote when he was on the show? Or the fact that the week after he dropped out, he was going on a cruise as a guest speaker? The producers made it clear they could accommodate him when he was on the cruise, as Kristina could train with him on the boat. Sorry, but he clearly didn't expect to last as long as he did, got carried away with his popularity and then wanted off the show because it was too much hard work. He knew full well he had no chance of doing two dances a week from the following week, but he should have stayed on the show and let the public vote for him, what ever the eventual outcome.

As far as I'm concerned John taking part in the competition is probably the worst thing to have happened to the show. In my opinion the producers were at that time so bothered about the ratings war with the X Factor, the publicity about John opened the door for other joke contestants like Ann Widdecombe to take part. I suspect Paul Daniels thought he'd have the same sort of ride on the show, but Russell and Nancy beat him to it.

Yes, Ann was much worse than John, but it started with John and that's why I often include them both when I'm talking about joke celebs, etc.

I agree that Paso is the only dance I remember

Pretty much agree with all of this. I didn't like John or find him amusing but, unfortunately, his 'success' on SCD only inflated his, already huge, ego.