Bushell responds to Twitter trolls after surviving Strictly dance-off

“As a non-dancer all I can do is put the hours in, do my best and get through it. You have to rise above the abuse on social media, that’s one of the sad things about social media.

“All you can do is do your best, accept the judges’ decision and move on. Johannes and Catherine are lovely people, I didn’t want to see them go but someone has to go.

“It’s like football – you have to accept the referee’s decision. [The judges] are the best judges in the world, they do know what they’re talking about, if they’d sent me home that would have been the best decision, I can’t get involved in any of that.

“I just have to concentrate on improving, and if Katya is happy with what I’m doing then I’m happy.”

His wife Emily took to Twitter to say: “Wow the abuse! Painful. We’re beyond gutted Catherine and Johannes have left but Mike danced well and deserves his spot. As a viewer since the start I get opinion but this level of abuse is shocking. He’s just a contestant and giving his all!”

Tyldesley was the fifth contestant to be eliminated from the series after performing the Cha Cha at the end of the show’s Halloween Week. Head Judge Shirley Ballas cast the deciding vote that sent her home.