So the judges have won.

With their bully boy tactics, personal swipes and humiliating attacks, they've forced John out.

He's been hurt and the viewers have been cheated.

People spent money voting for John. The last time I checked, the public had a 50 per cent say in who stays and who goes. But the judges think their opinion is the only one that counts.

Strictly Come Dancing is a Saturday night entertainment show. It's not, as the judges seem to think, a serious dancing competition.

If the worst dancer got voted off every week, where would the excitement, drama and suspense come from?

The viewers kept John in because he injected a bit of fun into the proceedings. And for that he was slated.

The judges - Arlene Phillips in particular - have been out in force this week urging people not to vote for him. Their behaviour is quite reprehensible. He's been dubbed the Dancing Pig. He's been called lazy and been mocked because of his looks and weight. If he'd stayed this weekend, no doubt they would have ripped him to shreds in a character assassination live on TV this Saturday night.

I don't blame him for bowing out - he's got bigger fish to fry.

But I feel sorry for the viewers, who were clearly enjoying his performances and who have now effectively been told their votes are irrelevant.

They've spent their cash and invested their emotions and all, ultimately, for nothing.

What used to be a light-hearted, feel-good show now has a cloud of nastiness hanging over it.

Arlene claims the voting should be based on the dancing alone. What double standards!

Her vile comments this week and last certainly haven't been about the dancing.

They've been personal and cruel and made uncomfortable reading.

The judges have form here.

When I was on, they laid into me week after week. I was the runt of the litter, the useless one that the viewers kept voting back in, to the judges' horror.

No one likes a bully. In this country we stick up for the underdog. The judges might have got their way, but they've damaged the show.

Far from John making a mockery of Strictly Come Dancing, Arlene and her gang have done it all by themselves.

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