Strictly Come Dancing professional Amy Dowden has responded to former Strictly star Brendan Cole after he said she was 'not up to the challenge' of being a pro on the show. Speaking to the Mirror at the Women of the Year Awards in London, Dowden said: "I'll be honest, what do you expect from him? It's fine. I've never been brought up to be personal, and in this day and age especially I think it's so important to be kind, and to think about the next generation."
Dowden's response to criticism
Last week, Cole, who left the show in 2017, 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."
Cole also claimed he could see Dowden, 36, "counting in" her partners, a sign to him the "job has not been done".
Support from fellow pros
After Cole's comments, Dowden posted a video on her socials that was praised as "perfect" by fans. Miming the opening line from Mariah Carey's track Obsessed, Dowden can be seen blowing a kiss at the camera and saying, "Why are you so obsessed with me?" "If you know, you know," her cryptic caption read, along with the hashtag, "In a world where you can be anything, be kind."
Dowden's fellow Strictly pros Aljaž Škorjanec, Dianne Buswell and Kevin Clifton showed their support, while Carlos Gu replied, "Iconic as always".
Dowden's positive outlook
Dowden, who announced she was cancer-free in February 2024 after being diagnosed with stage-three breast cancer the previous year, said: "I'm feeling really happy and healthy. I'm feeling fitter and stronger than I've ever been. It's so special to be here, celebrating such brave, inspirational women."
Dowden and her celebrity partner, hairdresser Chris Appleton, were the first to be eliminated in this series. Admitting she's gutted, she said: "I was having the best time with Chris. We're still the best of friends. We were FaceTiming yesterday."
She said the lasting bonds formed are a huge consolation: "Brian Conley MC'd my wedding, Tom Fletcher sang at it. JJ Chalmers wore the kilt he wore for our Viennese waltz on my big day. I spoke to Karim Zeroual yesterday, who I made the final with in 2019. You share a unique experience together. When you're in that training room, it's intense, but it's amazing. You form friendships for life."
