To entertain is to amuse - people like JS who can't dance make the show interesting to watch but it seems now that if you can't dance there's no longer a place for you on SCD. When it first started we were all happy to watch amateurs progess into good dancers - that was part of its charm and was "entertaining". Now it seems people just want to watch good dancers - and God help you if you're not excellent from the start!!

Programme credibility is shot. The only winners here are JS and Simon Cowell.

BBC will have to give serious thought to changing the format of the show next year to ensure a more even field of contestants otherwise this is just going to happen again and again.

Thats not true. Last year Gethin was rubbish and got better as it went along. Thats what people like to see.

I only watched to see John, the ultra serious ones- Tom Austin etc, left me cold

If you read my post again I think you'll find that you actually agree with me - i'm saying the joy is to watch people progess into good dancers but now it seems that viewers have no time for people who can't dance or possibly who don't become good dancers.

It's a shame because if he had stayed in we would have seen which of the other celebrities really want to win as they would have been getting angrier and angrier the more weeks John stayed in. He even had a chance to win not very likely but he has made it this far no problem.

I was annoyed that he was still there a couple of weeks ago but now I realise that the only reason he was booked on in the first place was to be the fall guy who makes a fool of himself for a couple of weeks then kindly leaves without a fuss. The fact that he kept on staying in was a slap in the face to the people who wanted to use him for their own amusement then get rid of him.

Whoever wins I wonder if they'll be asked- do you think you would have won if John had not quit?

It gives the show a whole new insignificance.

but John was rubbish in week 10

He looks defensive and defeated to me on ITT, so I'm not surprised. I'm sure it was his own decision but the pressure must have been there.

I don't think I'll enjoy this series as much now. It's meant to be light entertainment.

John was entertaining & Kristina is brilliant. A perfect combination for me.
Won't be too bothered to watch it now.

Just what I think. Thanks for putting it so well.

I do like John as a person but not as a wannabe dancer. Kristina is lovely and I hope she is asked back next time and accepts - preferably with a good partner.

Sorry? What has Simon Cowell to do with this show?

A poster with a sense of perspective.

This is a disgrace. The whole show seems to have moved so far away from where it was in series one where it seemed to be about promoting a love of dance. Now it seems unless you're young and gifted you're not wanted.

More people watching X Factor presumably

This resignation puts the BBC in a very difficult position.

Now they are forced to find celebrities who are of a similar age and ability for the next series, otherwise they are inviting some people on to be laughed at. If all contestants are not allowed a level playing field to compete, then some people are being invited on for the public to laugh at them!

I'm sure some people with argue with you on that point and maintain that it's a dance competition.

However, my contention has always been that if you allow viewer participation it will never be purely that.

It's a dance/personality/entertainment show and nothing more IMO.

Very true and another reason why the idea this is purely a dance competition doesn't really hold up.

When you've got celebrities of different ages, physical fitness and some with prior dance training, how on earth can it be???????

The BBC need to clearly set out how they 'market' the Show then this kind of nonsense may be put to bed.

Fair point! But every yr the producers put someone in the show that they know can't dance - if the public are supporting that person why should they feel like they have to back out and yes I know that John is an intelligent man but you can't deny that the drama created about him remaining in the show has influenced his decision.

John made the show watchable - lets face it, its a pretty fair bet to say either Austin or Tom will win thison dance ability, at least if we no longer consider the public vote valid! That makes for boring viewing in my opinion and too predictable. John at least gave us a surprise every week!!

The judges and producers should re-evaluate what this show is meant to be about.
For most people it is a dance/entertainment show which generates a lot of money for children in need. I know that John would have been pulling in a considerable amount of cash from viewers who do not normally vote.
He was never going to win as the public know when to call it a day and vote for the best dancers. So in the future just let things run their course and stop the meddling.

what about Rachel or Lisa or Christine? They can still win.

Its very open now that John has left

He had to go but I would prefer that the public weren't so bloody stupid and voted on merit rather than popularity. However I feel the public voted that way because of how the judges criticised him. Had they not been so vicious he wouldn't have gotten such a huge groundwell of support.

There were rumours about Simon Cowell wanting to buy SCD from the BBC. (If you can't beat 'em, join 'em, I suppose.)