Strictly Come Dancing professional Amy Dowden has responded to criticism from former professional dancer Brendan Cole after being eliminated in the first round of the competition for the second consecutive year.
Amy, 36, was partnered with hair stylist Chris Appleton in series 24 of the show. The pair were knocked out in the first round. This year's appearance was Amy's third since returning to the programme following treatment for grade three breast cancer earlier in the 2020s. Last year, she was also eliminated in the first round when partnered with former Apprentice contestant Thomas Skinner.
Brendan Cole's criticism
Brendan Cole, who was a professional on Strictly between 2004 and 2017, was critical of Amy's recent performances. Speaking to Sky Vegas, he said: “To be a pro on Strictly is a big job and one has to be up to the challenge. Amy has not been up to the challenge, in my opinion.”
He added: “I don't think Amy's been doing a very good job for the last few years and she's been out first for the last few years. One can do the maths on that.”
Amy's response
Amy has since hit back at Mr Cole's comments. Appearing at the Woman of the Year Awards, she praised her celebrity partner while seemingly referencing the remarks, although she did not name Mr Cole directly.
She said: “Chris Appleton did very well. He came into this competition as a non-dancer, he was very nervous and every celebrity is on their own journey and it's important to remember that. What are we teaching the younger generation if we're being unkind and making personal remarks towards other people?”
Amy also shared a cryptic post on Instagram that some have suggested was a reference to Mr Cole's comments. The post featured Amy miming the first line of Mariah Carey's song Obsessed, which is “Why are you so obsessed with me?” before blowing a kiss to the camera. She wrote the caption: “If you know, you know.”
Support from fellow stars
Among the celebrities showing their support in the comments section were fellow Strictly stars Carlos Gu, Dianne Buswell, Kevin Clifton and Aljaž Škorjanec, as well as Stacey Dooley.
Amy has also admitted to feeling disappointed about leaving the show so early this year. Appearing on Strictly's It Takes Two, she said she was “gutted that we didn’t get the chance to continue”.
Meanwhile, Chris praised Amy for helping him through the programme. He added: “I'd literally go out there shaking and there's times I didn't know if I could do it but I did it and I would just look at Amy and see her smiling and knew she was with me.”
