STRICTLY Come Dancing star John Sergeant's gorgeous blonde partner today breaks her silence to reveal the TRUTH behind his dramatic walkout.

Heartbroken Kristina Rihanoff tells how the judges' "cheap, derogatory" comments week after week drove the political journalist to DESPAIR until he was "broken by cruelty".

"John was like a lamb led to the slaughter," stormed the furious 31-year-old Siberian beauty.

See more stunning photos of Strictly Come Dancing's Kristina Rihanoff

"The BBC pestered him for three years to take part in the show until he felt he couldn't back out because he worked for them. He told me he hadn't the guts to say no again.

"But they just let him be savaged.

"In the end we felt like we were caught in a war zone between the judges and the public.

"Some judges' remarks crossed the line of taste and respect. And they became harder for him to take. Yet it was because the judges were so mean that the public kept us in."

Kristina talks for the first time of 64-year-old John's anguished PHONE CALL to her telling her it was over last week.

She SLAMS judge Arlene Phillips for being the worst of his tormentors. And she reveals how her AFFECTION for the little newsman grew over the weeks they worked together on the dance floor-even though she first thought he "might not make it because of his physique".

SO POPULAR: John and Kristina

Kristina knew something was up as they rehearsed last Tuesday. The spark was gone. "When we first got together John was like a giddy schoolboy," she says. "Even on the week we got 12 points for our Cha Cha Cha-and Craig Revel Horwood said he wished he could have given us a zero-we just laughed it off.

"At first the judges would apologise behind the scenes and John would make a joke like 'don't worry, I know where you live.'

"But on Tuesday something had changed. John was sad. He was no longer smiling and joking.

"I know he felt especially bad about Cherie Lunghi and James Jordan being kicked off on Sunday. Plus, the judges had started really humiliating him."

On Wednesday morning, she got a message from him at her London flat saying: "I need to talk to you." Her heart sank.

Pleaded

Kristina said: "I knew it wasn't going to be good when I called him. He told me he wanted out of the show. He said, 'I can't take it any more-I am going to leave. There is no fun any more in all of this.'"

"I pleaded with him to reconsider but he said, 'I've made up my mind. The best part was dancing with you and the others. But I feel like for some it's a much more serious game. They really want to make it to the final, but I am doing it for the entertainment, for myself.

"He said, 'I like the show, I like you, but I don't feel it would be fair to stay'.

"There was nothing I could do to change his mind. I'm very sad about the whole thing. I wanted to go all the way and take the trophy. But I admire him for backing down with dignity."

Kristina has no doubt why John has left despite protests by 40,000 of the show's fans who have signed an online petition to have him reinstated at bringbackjohn.co.uk.

She had stood by him for weeks as the panel told him he was too old and talentless to merit a spot in the contest.

Kristina has always defended John, saying he had every right to be there despite quips from judges like Len Goodman who said, "this isn't Help the Aged" and even host Bruce Forsyth who said one of John's paso doble moves looked like he was "dragging her off to be recycled".

Kristina says: "It wasn't nice for him to hear all this. Who wants to be told they look like they need a hip replacement? I know he feels the judges, particularly Arlene, were too harsh."

The choreographer accused him of reading newspapers instead of rehearsing. Kristina retorted: "John lost 30 lbs and you don't lose that kind of weight by being lazy. He worked very hard training six hours a day.

"I don't know why Arlene was so critical when she is the same age as him. She should have stuck to constructive criticism and not belittled him."

Now all Kristina is left with are memories of working with "a very honourable man".

"I can remember clearly the day we met," she says. "When he giggled he would cover his mouth, and I was instantly in love.

"But I did think, 'oh my God, he might not make it through many weeks because of his physique.' He had basically done no exercise at all in his life.

"In the beginning it was difficult because he had to take a lot of breaks. He was very awkward. He couldn't count to music. Now I think he would do well on any dance floor.

Proud

"My favourite quote in life is 'love like you've never been hurt, work like you need no money, and dance like nobody's watching.

"Before we did our first dance live on Strictly, I told John to think about that last part. Later he was so proud as he told me 'Kristina, I danced like no one was watching'."

The two became such good pals that Kristina met his wife Mary and their two sons, when they came to watch him perform. "Mary said I have done a wonderful job. And John knows I am the best teacher he could have had."

Last night the couple put on a special performance of the first waltz they did-to Norah Jones's Come Away With Me-as a farewell on the show. John will now head off on a Panama Canal cruise giving after-dinner speeches. Kristina, who lives in the USA, will stay with the show.

She says: "I will continue to do the group dances-they are great fun. But I wish it hadn't turned out like this. I want to thank everyone who voted for us. And as for John, he is the kindest man I know.

"In my mind I have won with him-and I hope we'll always be friends."