Amy Dowden warned Strictly friendship with Chris Appleton may not last

Strictly Come Dancing's Amy Dowden has been warned about her friendship with Chris Appleton. The dancing duo became the first pair to leave the competition last weekend, after all four judges opted to save Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu in the dance-off.

Brendan Cole's warning

Brendan Cole, who was part of the Strictly professional line-up for 14 years between 2004 and 2018, has claimed that Welsh dancer Amy and celebrity hairdresser Chris probably won't stay friends for long after the show. Sharing his thoughts on the current series, he said he finds the way dancing couples all claim to "love each other" rather distasteful, warning that such friendships often don't last beyond the show.

Alluding to Amy and Chris' exit, he told Sky Vegas: "With the contestants, they all love each other. Look at Chris and Amy when they left, 'I've got a friend for life'. No, you haven't. You've spent two weeks together in a rehearsal room. You'll probably never speak again."

"This nonsense of everybody being so wonderful and everybody being so lovely. Of all my 15 partners, I probably gelled really well with six of them, was indifferent about five of them and hated the other few," he added. "There's no reality within the reality of the television anymore. It all seems very put on."

Chris and Amy's heartfelt messages

Following their exit, the celebrity hairdresser shared a compilation of their best moments from the series on Instagram, accompanied by the caption: "I'm still terrified of dancing. Just not when I'm with Amy."

"My hands were shaking, my heart was racing, and I was sure I'd forget everything with everyone watching.," he continued. "Amy, you help me believe in myself when I couldn't and get out there and do it anyway! That means more than you know," he added. "This is for the little boy who felt different and was afraid of getting things wrong and for anyone who's ever let that fear stop them from trying. You don't have to feel confident to give yourself a chance. Sometimes, you just have to do it shaking," he concluded.

In a heartfelt message, Amy also shared pictures of the pair, writing: "Our dancing journey may have ended, but our friendship certainly hasn't. Chris, you should be incredibly proud of yourself. Thank you for every laugh, every memory, every hug and for simply being you. I'll be cheering you on every step of the way. Love you, my friend."