James Cracknell denies claims he 'flew into furious rage' after Strictly exit

Unhappy James Cracknell has rejected suggestions that he lost it following his Strictly Come Dancing axing.

The Olympic champion is the first celebrity to leave the show this series.

Reports have surfaced that the 47-year-old didn’t take his departure very well at all – and flew into a rage once the curtain came down.

He went “overboard with his anger” after finding out he was booted off, The Sun claimed.

They suggest the rower ranted “I wish I’d never done this show” after being criticised by the judges in week two.

An insider told them: “He was livid at being axed. He was saying things like, ‘It was a massive mistake to do Strictly. I’ve been made to look completely stupid.’

“James is very competitive — he won gold at the Olympics twice — and he felt he wasn’t given a fair chance.

“It was like his first career failure. He was very angry backstage and had to be calmed down.”

But he hit back and said he didn’t have a back-stage tantrum and knew he wasn’t ever going to win the Glitterball.

He tweeted: “I don’t reply to people’s comments but I’m not gonna let this one go. @LubaMushtuk & I had fun & our best dance but it wasn’t enough. I know I’m no John Travolta so to throw my toys out the pram would be stupid.”

James said after his exit that their may have been more to his slow start on the dancefloor than people know about.

In 2010 he was hit by a petrol tanker at 70mph while cycling across America in a typically hardcore record attempt and suffered a severe brain injury.

It had a serious effect and meant just remembering his steps with pro partner Luba Mushtuk was really hard.

He injured his brain’s frontal lobes which processes how you learn.

James says: “You become more regimented, so you have to work within that.

“It’s probably been a struggle for Luba, her having to say ‘do the steps and they will come’, rather than having to make sure it’s perfect.”