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ITV
The former EastEnders actor, 50, said that Gardiner was a "panto baddie", who was pleasant to work with off screen.
Last week, Sharron Davies, Tana Ramsay and viewers complained that Australian choreographer was getting too personal with his critiques.
"I was there when Jason made those comments and I must admit that even I thought they were a bit harsh," he told the Daily Star. "But that's his role in the whole production that is Dancing On Ice.
"If you treat it as one big panto then Karen [Barber] would be the fairy godmother, Emma [Bunton] the princess and then you've got handsome princes Gary Lucy and Kieron Richardson in the contest. Jason would be the Wicked Queen or villain of the piece.
"Every good panto needs a baddie and he's it. Off camera, he's actually really nice. I have no reason to stick up for him but they'd be mad to get rid of him."
Davro was voted off this year's Dancing On Ice in the first week.
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