Simon Rimmer, 54, was eliminated from the BBC talent competition in week six, after losing in the dance off to Mollie King and AJ Pritchard.
The Sunday Brunch presenter explained to co-host Tim Lovejoy, 49, that he has always considered Joe, 42, a “dark horse”.
He revealed: “It was very exciting and the pressure was on last night because they had to do two dances.
“But for me, the highlight was Joe’s second dance of the night, which was the Argentine Tango, which was just brilliant.
“With Joe, on the very first day when we did it I thought he was a dark horse because he’s just got rhythm,” Simon added, complimenting his colleague on his “amazing” routine.
Simon’s revelation comes after Claudia Winkleman announced that Joe is the first ever Scot to make it to the semi-final of Strictly Come Dancing.
The Holby City star said he was “proud to fly the [Scottish] flag” and he is currently favourite to win the competition overall.
Joe and professional partner Katya Jones stunned viewers last night with their mind-blowing counter-balance lift.
The pair showed off their core strength and fans of the dancing show were completely overwhelmed.
One posted: “Joe & Katya’s Argentine Tango. OH MY GOODNESS. That ENDING!”
A second gushed: “How did Katya lift Joe?!!! She must have thigh muscles like a f**king kangaroo.”
Strictly Come Dancing: The Results airs tonight on BBC One at 7.15pm.