Strictly star ‘had furious row with woman in front of shocked audience’ after ‘disappointing’ Blackpool score – as fans say he ‘ignored people saying hello’ before show: ‘Nigel Harman looks very nice on camera but he can turn it on and off’

Nigel Harman argued with his wife in front of a shocked Strictly Come Dancing audience as she tried to calm him down after he received disappointing scores from the judges, MailOnline can reveal.

The former EastEnders star, who was forced to leave the BBC1 show due to injury on Saturday, is said to have upset his wife Lucy Liemann, 50, so much during the Blackpool show last month that his dance partner Katya Jones comforted her. after Nigel stormed the set.

The 50-year-old actor also irritated the judges with his reactions to his scores, when Anton De Beke and Shirley Ballas were caught “rolling their eyes” at the camera after seeing Nigel air his obvious grievances on their scores.

The row with his wife comes after it was revealed that the cast and crew of Strictly were quietly relieved that he was no longer competing as they were fed up with his behaviour.

An audience member from Blackpool told MailOnline: ‘Nigel was super excited before the show, unlike the other celebrities they all interacted with fans as they went to their seats after the off-camera introduction, but he was just in the zone, he ignored people who said hello to him.

‘And it all started when he got his scores from the judges. When the cameras stopped rolling, he stormed back to his seat and beckoned to his wife. You could tell she knew what was coming.

‘She tried to calm him down, but that didn’t work and he took his disappointment out on her.

‘After he walked away, Katya tried to comfort her. She was visibly upset.’

Nigel wasn’t shy about showing his frustration with the judges’ scoring throughout the series, when he felt their marks were too low and the judges seemed to lose patience in Blackpool.

He and Katya received 31 out of 40 for their routine to Duke Ellington’s It Don’t Mean A Thing, placing them second from the bottom of the judges’ leaderboard.

The audience member added: ‘Anton and Shirley were like ‘here we go again’ while Nigel seemed offended by their score. They just rolled their eyes, knowing another tantrum was coming.

‘Nigel seems very nice on camera, but he can turn it on and off whenever he wants. He’s clearly a very driven and competitive man, but you could tell his diva antics made other people uncomfortable.”

MailOnline has contacted Nigel’s representatives for comment.

The former Casualty star appeared on Saturday’s show looking dejected after a rib injury suffered during training forced him to quit the series.

He said he was about to be “caught by some very handsome men” but landed awkwardly, hurting his rib.

When asked by host Claudia Winkleman if he enjoyed his time on the show, Nigel said: ‘Oh, I enjoyed it, I enjoyed it. This doesn’t really get through.

“When I saw everyone coming down the stairs, it really felt like I wasn’t part of it anymore.”

Katya praised Nigel’s hard work on the show and looked emotional at the thought of them no longer performing together.

She said: “I absolutely loved every moment of us creating magic on the dance floor.

“I know the reasons he did this were for your daughter and your parents, and I know your parents will be very proud of you. I hope you find something out of this that you will cherish forever in your broken rib.”

Nigel replied: ‘The only reason I’m standing here is because of all the work you’ve put into it. You challenge me, you push me, you support me. Most of all, you’re just a part of me now.” He became emotional and added, “I can’t even look at you!”

He and Katya were due to perform a Charleston to Step in Time from Mary Poppins as part of the programme’s musical week.

The Sun revealed that Nigel’s “backstage mood swings” have become a feature of Strictly, never again in Blackpool.

But a show insider said: ‘The crew and professionals of the show are like a close-knit family and the celebrities are welcome in it. But if someone disrupts that long-standing dynamic, it can create bad feelings.

‘Despite this, everyone on the show also felt enormous sympathy for Nigel having to leave the competition under such difficult circumstances.’

Responding to the claims, a BBC source hit back by saying: ‘It’s always sad when a contestant leaves the show, especially if they get injured.

‘Nigel will be greatly missed by those who worked with him on the show and everyone wishes him all the best and looks forward to seeing him at the final on Saturday 16 December.’

Nigel’s shock withdrawal meant rivals Bobby Brazier, Annabel Croft, Ellie Leach and Layton Williams were given byes in this weekend’s semi-final.

Coronation Street star Ellie and partner Vito Coppola are the bookmakers’ favorites to win the Glitterball.