Johnson Beharry eliminated in 'DOI' semi-final

Johnson Beharry has just missed out on a place in the Dancing On Ice final.



The army hero became the 13th contestant booted from the figure skating show, after finishing in the bottom two with Chloe Madeley when public votes and judges' scores were combined.

After a final skate-off, hosts Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby threw the vote over to judges Robin Cousins, Jason Gardiner and Emma Bunton. All three chose to spare Madeley, who tripped over during her earlier routine, but praised Beharry for his sensational progress throughout the show.

Cousins congratulated Beharry for making the semi-finals, while Gardiner noted that the former soldier had come "an incredibly long way", before expressing his desire for a "final that we can be proud of".

Bunton concluded the vote by calling Johnson an "inspiration" for performing a solo routine in tonight's show, given that months ago he was unable to even stand up on the ice.

His fate sealed, Johnson stepped out of the rink for his exit interview to a rapturous round of applause from the studio audience.

"[There's] no need to be sad," he told the crowd. "I had loads of fun. I had [the] time of my life."

He proceeded to thank the members of the Dancing On Ice team for helping him recover from horrific injuries sustained in the war zone.

"They actually helped me so much, words cant describe how much they held me," he said. "It's amazing."

Beharry's tearful partner Jodeyne Higgins was also quick to express her fondness for the star, stating: "This entire journey has been absolutely incredible, and every moment I've been out there on the ice with this man has been inspirational."

Madeley, Sam Attwater and Laura Hamilton will compete for the Dancing On Ice trophy in next Sunday's final, which airs at 7.40pm on ITV1.