"Please carry on dancing, carry on entertaining people, because you are a star. Well done," the head judge added.
Tony looked emotional as he reflected on his Strictly journey and his decision to leave.
"I came in here with one message, if you’ve got an issue with mental health then please don’t suffer in silence and reach out for help," the former footballer explained.
"Little did I know that I was going to learn a lot about myself in the process.
"I thought this ‘journey’ rubbish was nonsense, but my god the rollercoaster of emotion.
"I’ve got to be honest, it’s tough, physically it’s really tough out there, but dancing is really fantastic for you."
The remaining eight couples will take to the dancefloor next when Strictly Come Dancing returns to the Blackpool Tower next Saturday at 7.45pm.
