A judge on Strictly Come Dancing has vented her frustration that left-footed contestant John Sergeant is still in the TV competition, claiming that instead of rehearsing he "sits and reads The Guardian".

Last weekend Mr Sergeant, 64, a former political correspondent, came bottom of the judges' score table for the third week in a row with his professional dance partner Kristina Rihanoff, but once again the pair were saved from elimination by the public vote.

Arlene Phillips, one of the panel of four judges on the BBC One show - all of whom have criticised Sergeant's inept performances - acknowledged that there was a possibility that he might win the competition, beating celebrity contestants who had rehearsed far harder and who danced far better. She said that the idea left her feeling "desolate".

"There is nothing that is correct about his performances, he is just getting through the dances," she complained in a BBC interview.

"His posture's wrong, his feet are turned in, he hasn't got the rise and fall, his head's on one side. In terms of dance everything is wrong with it.

"When the performers and celebrities put hours in the practice studio they are constantly working. They do not sit down, and I know with John he sits and reads The Guardian. I think a lot of the time he and his partner spend fooling around.

"We've never had anyone this bad who has gone this far. It is a little bit disheartening when the public are voting for a non-dancing Mickey Rooney."

On Saturday night the judges toned down their criticism and awarded him 25 out of 40 for his version of the American Smooth, apparently realising that by lambasting him week after week they were building up his status with the public as a heroic underdog.

A string of groups have been set up on social networking website Facebook in support of Sergeant, who is as low as 16-1 with some bookmakers to win the competition.

Ms Phillips, 64, has been unable to stick to the new softer line on Mr Sergeant, and bluntly told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: "I personally would like to see him off the show. I would be desolate if he won.

"The criteria that the four judges were hired on, six series ago, was to find the best possible dancer to become Strictly Come Dancing champion.

"If we're saying that it's about personality, why don't the girls just throw off their clothes and the boys do a comedy routine?"

Last night Mr Sergeant hit back, retorting: “I’ve lost two stone, so I’m not just reading newspapers all the time. Everyone knows the rules, we’re playing absolutely by the rules. If people want to vote for us and keep us in, then that’s not a crime is it?”

On Sunday actress Cherie Lunghi, who once trained as a dancer, became the ninth celebrity to leave the show, even as the judges praised her "breakthrough" performance.

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