Rachel Stevens has admitted that it was “horrible” to learn that her Strictly Come Dancing rival John Sergeant is more popular than her.

The former S Club star and her dance partner Vincent Simone were in the dance-off last weekend after failing to pick up viewer support, while Sergeant and Kristina Rihanoff continued to be backed by the public.

Judge Bruno Tonioli has since criticised supporters of Sergeant, while the rest of the panel are said to be “incredulous” over his popularity.

Asked to join the debate in an interview with The Mirror, Stevens revealed: “Erm, it’s not frustrating. It’s more… it’s just horrible.

“You know, John’s having his own personal journey just as much as anyone else. He’s having a good time. He’s very entertaining and lovable. He’s just himself and I think people connect with that. And all this fuss might be helping him win more votes.”

She added: “No, no. I can’t think about that kind of thing. All Vincent and I can do is concentrate on what we’re doing and performing the best we can. I don’t want to be in that dance-off again. I’m always really nervous at that part of the show because you never know what’s going to happen.”