Jason Gardiner has branded his judging rival Craig Revel Horwood a "bitch".
The outspoken TV star was furious when the 'Strictly Come Dancing' judge branded Jason's new ITV dance show 'Stepping Out' a "car crash waiting to happen" and has now hit back at Craig, calling him irrelevant.
He told The Sun newspaper: "Craig is entitled to his opinion but he is always looking to push himself because no one gives a s**t about him when 'Strictly' isn't on.
"That's what Craig does. So I'm not surprised he has condemned a brand new format - without even seeing the first episode. He is just being a bitch.
"Our show has never claimed to be the be-all and end-all of dance shows. All it really shares with 'Strictly' is that they are both dance-related shows."
Jason - who is joined by ballet legend Wayne Sleep and Spice Girl Mel B on the 'Stepping Out' panel - insists the show offers viewers a completely different experience to their BBC competitors because the celebrities are teamed up with their real-life partners rather than professional dancers.
He said: "'Strictly' sticks to ballroom dancing - it's very technical and has to be executed precisely, although Len Goodman is the only judge with ballroom experience.
"Our show is about how our couples deal with the challenge of dancing together, and learning lots of different types of dance like tap, street and bhangra.
"It is a lot more ambitious, because a professional partner acts as a huge safety net. Most of the time, a pro dancer can make an amateur look good.
"But take a pro out of the equation like we have done, and the celebrities are extremely exposed and vulnerable. They have no crutch to lean on."
'Stepping Out' sees the likes of JLS singer Oritse Williams and his fashion designer girlfriend AJ Azari, interior design couple Laurence and Jackie Llewelyn-Bowen and Westlife star Brian McFadden and DJ wife Vogue Williams battle it out to be crowned the masters of dance.
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