Former Strictly Come Dancing professional Ian Waite has spoken out in defence of Brendan Cole, describing his fellow dancer's outspoken remarks as "refreshing" despite the recent backlash over comments aimed at Amy Dowden.
Cole, who competed on the BBC dance programme, faced criticism after claiming Dowden had not been "doing a very good job for the last few years" and "hasn't been up to the challenge" of training another celebrity. His remarks came shortly after Dowden and her celebrity partner Chris Appleton became the first couple voted off this series.
Waite's View on Cole's Comments
Waite, who is currently on tour with Cole, James Jordan, Vincent Simone and Pasha Kovalev, described Cole as "the head" of their group. He acknowledged that Cole and Jordan's comments "can be a bit extreme" but defended their outspokenness.
"I certainly don't always [have] the same views as them, but it is... I think it's refreshing that people can say what they think and, yeah, you know, just have a difference of opinion," Waite remarked, speaking on behalf of Best Betting Bonuses.
Dowden's Response
Dowden responded to Cole's comments in a chat with The Mirror, questioning what else could be expected from him. "I'll be honest, what did you expect from him?" she said. "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."
She added: "I always try to use my platform in the right way - I work with various charities. But also I want to be the right kind of role model."
Cole's Reaction to Backlash
Cole's friend and former co-star James Jordan has said Cole is "quite upset" by the backlash. Speaking to Mail Online via WhichBingo, Jordan said: "It wasn't what people think; he never meant it in that way, and he's actually quite upset about the whole thing. It's all been taken out of proportion, and yeah, it's a shame, because he was asked a question about them leaving and just said that he didn't think the choreography was that good."
Jordan added: "And then people were saying, 'Oh, she's a cancer survivor,' and it's horrendous what she's been through, and she does amazing things for Crohn's and cancer and this and that. But hang on a minute... he was just asked about her dancing. He wasn't asked about any of that. So this makes him look really, really bad when he didn't mean it in the way that it's now been all blown out of proportion, which is a shame, really."
