CREW members on Strictly were relieved Nigel Harman left the competition after experiencing his backstage mood swings.
The Casualty and former EastEnders actor, 50, quit hours before Saturday’s quarter-final after injuring his ribs in rehearsals with his pro dancer Katya Jones.
But he was favourite to leave anyway after receiving disappointing scores from the judges throughout the competition — which often left him frustrated.
A Strictly insider said: “Nigel takes himself very seriously as a performer and throws himself heart and soul into things.
“So obviously he’s very emotional if things don’t go as he hoped. That often means that he can be like a bear with a sore head backstage.
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“Viewers got a glimpse of that when he received disappointing scores for their quickstep in Blackpool.
“The crew and pros on the show are like a close family and the celebrities are welcomed into that. But if someone upsets that long-standing dynamic it can create bad feeling.
“Despite this, it is always sad when a contestant leaves the show, particularly when an injury is sustained. They wish Nigel the very best and look forward to seeing him at the final on Saturday December 16."
In Blackpool week, Nigel and Katya finished second from bottom after the judges gave them a total of 31 points out of 40.
Viewers said he looked angry, with footage later emerging of him immediately leaving the stage as soon as filming ended.
One onlooker said: “Nigel’s been broken tonight.”
There was no public vote or elimination on last night’s show as a result of Nigel’s departure.
Speaking on Saturday’s show Nigel said he was “leaping off a rostrum, about to be caught by some very handsome men”.
He said: “As I flew I was Peter Pan. As I landed I was in A&E. I’ve done something to my rib basically and it’s quite painful.”
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It means tennis star Annabel Croft and actors Layton Williams and Ellie Leach go straight through to this week’s semi-final.
They were all still scored on Saturday, with their points to be carried over to this weekend, when viewers can once again vote for their favourites.
