Television presenter Fern Britton has become the latest contestant to leave Strictly Come Dancing. The 55-year-old who hosted ITV's This Morning for 10 years, has said goodbye to "the best programme in the world" in the sixth week of the series. Thankful for the opportunity, the plucky Fern accepted that her "ticket on the train has run out".After Saturday night's judges' scores were combined with viewer votes, the TV presenter and her partner Artem Chigvintsev faced Girls Aloud star Kimberley Walsh and her partner Pasha Kovalev for a place in next week's Children In Need extravaganza at Wembley Arena.
Whilst Fern opted for a saucy spin on the dancefloor as she performed a salsa to Gloria Estefan's You'll Be Mine (Party Time) in a short and glitzy cerise strappy number. Girls Aloud singer Kimberley danced a more sedate Viennese waltz to A Thousand Years by Christina Perri in an elegant ballgown of netting and delicate hues of baby pink. Although Fern's dance may have been described as her best yet, three of the four judges chose to save Kimberley, whose position in the dance-off will have shocked many viewers, which meant Fern had performed her final dance on the BBC1 show.Judge Bruno Tonioli said: "Well with all due respect, I thought one couple was outstanding and that couple is Kimberley and Pasha. "Judge Craig Revel Horwood described the choice between the two couples as a "no brainer".
Britton, who is also a novelist, said: "This is the best party on the television, it's the best programme in the world, and I'm thrilled to have been part of it. "My ticket on the train has run out. Everyone else - good luck, good luck, good luck! It's the best party."
"You've got dancing in the drawing room, you've got snogging upstairs, you've got throwing up in the garden."
"It's been fantastic. You really do live that - the throwing up mostly!"Speaking to her dancing partner, she said: "Artem, I've loved it. I wouldn't have swapped you for anything. "There have been highs and lows, we've got to know each other pretty well, and I do adore you... and Kimberley and Pasha are fantastic."
Although the TV presenter may have had her spin on the dancefloor, the BBC show's success is far from over. The programme has topped the charts for Saturday night viewer ratings, scoring 10.4 million viewers. Denise Van Outen is currently topping the dance table, wowing judges with her pasa doble to The White Stripes' Seven Nation Army, accruing the series' highest score so far.Sunday night's results show featured a performance from Dutch classical music sensation Andre Rieu.