Strictly’s most explosive exits – off-screen rows, mysteries and devastating axe

Strictly Come Dancing has seen its fair share of chaotic exits from the show.

Traditionally, the public gets to decide who is leaving the show each week through a public vote. This is then combined with the decisions of the judges to help decide who is eliminated from the BBC show and who is crowned the winner.

However, in several instances, we have seen a number of stars leave the show early due to injury or illness. But as well as this, some celebrity faces have walked from the show for more contentious reasons.

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So, as Giovanni Pernice is said to be leaving Strictly Come Dancing after nine years working as a professional dancer, Daily Star looks at some of the most explosive exits in Strictly’s history.

John Sergeant

John Sergeant competed in the sixth season of the hit BBC show, which aired all the way back in 2008. During the course of the show, he was paired with Slovakian dancer Kristina Rihanoff, but regularly fell to the bottom of the scoreboard with the judges.

However, week after week, he was saved from elimination by the public, who enjoyed seeing him stumbling his way across the dance floor. At the time, judge Arlene Phillips criticised the public’s actions, saying that she would be “desolate” if the veteran broadcaster ended up winning the show.

This would never happen though as after the tenth week of the show, John announced he would be quitting the show. In a statement, he said he never wanted to win the programme outright, adding: “Even for me, that would be a joke too far.”

Amanda Abbington

In the most recent series of the show, Sherlock star Amanda Abbington was paired up with Italian hunk Giovanni Pernice. The pair initially got on well, but as the show progressed, it soon became clear there were fallouts behind the scenes.

Following the fifth week of the competition, Amanda announced that she would be leaving the show, which BBC bosses said was down to medical grounds. Following this, Abbington has spoken out against her time on the show, with pals of the actress saying she “did not realise what she was signing up for”.

In the wake of her withdrawal, questions were raised about Giovanni’s rehearsal style as several other famous faces who were paired with him came forward with their own stories. BBC bosses, however, were quick to defend Pernice and have been liaising with Abbington as she considers legal action for what she went through.

Will Young

Back in 2016, Pop Idol winner and singer-songwriter Will Young took part in the competition with partner Karen Hauer. The pair had been competent performers, getting regular high scores with the judges for the first three weeks of the show.

However, just three weeks in, the Love Revolution singer said that enough was enough and he walked from the show. When asked why he decided to leave, Young simply gave his response as “personal reasons”.

Six years later, Will would speak candidly about the reasoning for his absence from the rest of the show, telling the Telegraph newspaper he was “very ill”. He explained: “I had bad hypervigilance [a heightened fear of danger associated with PTSD, something that Young had previously been diagnosed with] and a bad nervous system, and I needed to look after myself.”

Brendan Cole

Of course, it is not just celebrities that have to leave the show on bad terms. Sometimes, professional dancers also decide to quit the show, as is what happened with Brendan Cole.

Cole, 48, was a staple of the show in its early days, being paired with eventual winner Natasha Kaplinsky in the first series of the BBC show. But after the show’s 15th series, he seemingly left the show – against his own accord.

Following the announcement, Brendan told Lorraine Kelly that it was an “editorial decision” made by producers. However, many also made connections to his ongoing feud with head judge Shirley Ballas before he decided to quit.

Speaking to Heart, however, Ballas was quick to quash any drama between the two: “I’ve known Brendan Cole for a long time, I have a lot of respect for him, I think he’s an amazing dancer. I’m just sorry that he happened to think my critiques were personal when in actual fact they are not – I’m the head judge on Strictly Come Dancing, I’m not the person who hires and fires.”

Robin Windsor

Former professional dancer Robin Windsor was a staple for the show back in 2010. Appearing from series 8 to 13, he was once of the main professional partners, being paired up with the likes of Patsy Kensit and Lisa Reiley.

But in 2014, problems arose for Robin when he suffered a serious injury with his back. Instead he was replaced on the show by Trent Whiddon, whilst BBC bosses gave him time to rest and get back to normal.

This became a more permanent break from the show later however, and Robin admitted that the BBC did not ask him to come back for the next series. “Leaving Strictly, was not my choice,” he went on to explain.

Tragically, the star died earlier this year at the age of 44.

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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk