DISGRACED contestant Seann Walsh has become the most unpopular contestant in the show’s history and is now ostracised by his fellow competitors.

The comedian is now considered a social pariah after the show’s celebrity dancers and the pros close ranks on him in the wake of the Strictly kissing scandal.

The Sun on Sunday can reveal that Seann has been ostracised from the show’s WhatsApp group which has been joined by all of the contestants and their dance partners, including Katya’s husband Neil Jones.

It comes just days after former cricketer Graeme Swann, partnered with Oti Mabuse, candidly revealed that there are “one or two” people that “nobody really likes” and admitted that tensions on the BBC One dance show are at an all-time high.

A source said: “This series is definitely the most bitchiest and frostiest series ever and there is Seann standing right at the heart of it.

“It was always felt that Seann wasn’t as liked from the start but after he was pictured kissing Katya those feelings against him have only intensified.

“Seann was overheard voicing his concerns that he gets ignored on the group.

He’ll put out a message and only receive a muted reaction.

“Then another member of the group will message something completely different and receive several responses to it. It’s everyone’s not-so-subtle way of making sure he’s aware how everyone feel, especially when Neil and Katya are also present on the group.

“Everyone wishes that he could be taken off of it, as it would make things considerably less awkward, but instead he’s just been phased out with the hope he’ll leave of his own accord.”

In contrast Katya’s long-suffering husband Neil is an avid member of the group and has become known as the show’s practical joker.

The source continued: “Neil is definitely the resident comedian of the group, which will no doubt hurt Seann. He’s the ringleader and tells jokes and starts competitions for them to all come up with the best pun.

“Funnily enough, Neil was very quiet the day the pictures emerged and for a few days afterwards. It’s all very lighthearted stuff that he posts but he’s the glue that sticks them all together.”

Backstage sources reveal how it’s not the only way in which Seann has been frozen out in the past two weeks, after being accused of using emotionally abusive tactics when dumped by girlfriend Rebecca Humphries.

The source went on: “The pro dancers are fully behind Neil and Katya and have relayed that message to their celeb partners who have followed suit.

“They’ve also gone cold on Seann and the whole atmosphere backstage is very frosty. Seann has since kept himself to himself and doesn’t really to socialises with anyone. He turns up, dances and leaves straight away.

“Some of the celebrities have light-heartedly tried to talk to him about the incident but he’s having none of it. So they’ve all decided that it’s for the best if they give him a wide berth.”

It’s understood that anguished Neil has been relying on fellow pro Kevin Clifton for support, after he went through his own split with dance wife Karen last year.

The source continued: “They’ve always been close but over the past few weeks Kevin has been a real rock and pillar of strength for Neil.

“Kevin has been giving him advice and told him to put his game face on and go out and do what he does best, which is to dance and ignore everything else.

“Neil confided that he has been having trouble sleeping and can think of little else but has been making sure that he keeps upbeat when not in private. They are working on the marriage and a lot of their finances rest on the public buying into them as a couple.”

Earlier this week Strictly’s Graeme Swann also claimed that contestants were constantly “pulling knives” from their backs as the competition heats up backstage.

Opening up about growing tensions in a telling podcast interview he said: “It is showbiz remember - everyone is ‘lovey dovey darling’ to your face but behind closed doors you are pulling out knives from your back every five minutes.”