I did think it was a bit funny about not wanting to cuddle Kristina!! (I would have given her a cuddle) But he might not have been comfortable showing that kind of emotion in public, yes he shows emotion dancing with her each week and says how wonderful she is but tonight was a little bit different

I personally hate being hugged, it makes me more upset. Kristina could be the same.

Emotionally retentive ex-public school boy, what do you expect?

Thats very true, it may have sent her over the edge, panda eyes may not have been great It would sent me over aswell. Evryone deserves a hug now and then, but I think Claude may have been pushing it, we all know hoe enamoured John is with Kristina

On the other hand, it may well have been the 'morons' who voted for him through a sense of outrage that made JS realise that this whole thing had got out of control.

His remark about not being able to stop this machine (IMO) bore this out, and I suspect his voiced opinion that he could win this was down to that.

Ironically, the very people who have strived to save him, have, ultimately left him in an untenable position, where retirement has been the only option

Hmmmm I also think it probably makes him more likely to behave like a gentleman and a professional, which doesn't involve dishing out big hugs on a sofa, but I thought he might have given her hand a squeeze or something.

Maybe Mrs S put her foot down and said 'you're out of it now, no more touching that pretty girl'

Sorry amesouer I'm not that keen a fan of SCD and usually only have it on in the background (or I'm in another room) so I don't know who you're talking about!! My interest was only aroused because of the JS fuss. (I used to work with him). However, as an innocent bystander I would say that the only consequence I can see from this fiasco is that they will be more careful when choosing future contestants for next year.

Doesn't it?

dw, they're the previous winners of scd!!

I think future contestants will also be more careful in accepting. After all John has set a precedent now, so they may feel they have to quit if there is any pressure for them to leave, or if public opinion goes doolally.

For the above reasons, I think SCD will either be axed or they will completely change the format and the people.

Well I don't think it does in public. It doesn't preclude some small tokens of comfort though.

Ok. Thanks (I think).

I wonder how they could change the format. Perhaps a studio audience vote only?

Don't think he's petulant and childish at all. He probably just woke up in the middle of the night, as he said he did himself, and realised that all the abuse and hassle wasn't worth it.

He's a tough old boot and has held his own through many situations far more serious than this one, but they were probably battles worth fighting to him. I doubt he's cowed or feels bullied, but perhaps he just feels the furore is not worth it? Can't say I blame him if that's the case. He's said himself that it he viewed Strictly as fun and I guess maybe the fun element had disappeared for both John and Kristina with everything being said by certain parties, including, I'd like to add, in forums like these. We don't know that John ever read them but Kristina certainly did. I don't imagine for one moment he quit without her agreement.

Now everyone can move on and whinge and moan about something else.

Badger you? Don't flatter yourself pal

The simple truth is the majority of JS fans on here have claimed 'light entertainment' as an excuse for JS having still been in the show so to suddenly claim that he should have had 'constructive criticism' seems a bit rich.

In your opinion.

I doubt if a JS supporter (allegedly) called his home in the middle of the night demanding he quit.

Do you not think this might have had an influence on his decision?

I notice no one has made reference to his wife having to take phone calls demanding he apologise to Heather.

That to me was totally out of order.

Didn't know that! That's appalling, poor both of them. Some people really, really, really need to get some perspective in life.

I certainly don't see why he should put up with his wife being phoned up. That may have been the straw that broke the camel's back. Why should he have to put up with it all? As for James calling him a selfish coward, well that's just plain rude!! I suppose I would have preferred it if he'd stayed in on principle, to see the thing out, but the prospect didn't appeal, and its not important in the grand scheme of things. There are things I don't like about either John or James in the way they've behaved in all this, but James comes across as more of a hypocrite.

At least now the contest is between some better dancers!

Why would a JS supporter demand that he quit?

Quite. Plus John strikes me as the type to feel a bit awakward being touchy feely in that way - especially on live (?) TV and when he's feeling emotional too

I don't think he's been petulant at all. He seemed perfectly reasonable when I saw the interview. He said that he could have won it, which would have been a joke - but why?

If it's going to be taken so seriously then we won't get the characters like John who make it worth watching - the kind of people who make it entertaining because not everyone wants to see top rate dancing, full stop.

It's been discussed on one of the (many) other threads. I agree it was terrible and as John said it's those kinds of events that contributed (understandably IMO) to his decision

That was the bit that made me sit up and take notice. How awful. I suspect that this business was also upsetting Kristina a lot. John dropped one hint that made me suspect that some of the other contestants had been pretty horrible. No prizes for guessing if James Jordan was one of them.