Former Strictly Come Dancing professional Brendan Cole is reportedly "upset" after facing criticism over comments he made about Amy Dowden. Cole, who appeared on the show from 2004 to 2017, suggested Dowden hadn't "been up to the challenge" of training another celebrity.
Backlash over Strictly comments
Dowden, who was paired with Thomas Skinner on Strictly last year and was the first celebrity duo to be eliminated, was also the first to exit this year's competition alongside celebrity hairstylist Chris Appleton.
The Welsh dancer has been a popular figure among fans since joining Strictly in 2017. She took a break from the show to undergo treatment for breast cancer, diagnosed in May 2023, and shared her journey before being told she had "no evidence of disease" in February 2024. Upon her return the following year, partnered with JLS singer JB Gill, Dowden was forced to withdraw due to a leg injury and was replaced by Lauren Oakley.
Cole's remarks and fan reaction
Following recent events on Strictly, Cole said: "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." He added: "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 faced significant backlash from fans, with Dowden appearing to respond by blowing a kiss at the camera to Mariah Carey's Obsessed, adding: "Why are you so obsessed with me?" Her caption read: "If you know, you know," along with the hashtags "be kind" and "in a world where you can be anything, be kind".
James Jordan defends Cole
In response to fans rallying around Dowden, former professional James Jordan suggested Cole is "gutted" and the criticism was "blown all out of proportion". He told Mail Online: "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.
"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."
Support for Dowden
Jordan added that "in hindsight", Cole could have messaged Dowden to say his comments hadn't come "from a bad place", adding that he was "gutted" about it all.
After Dowden's post, she was hailed as "iconic" by fellow pro Carlos Gu, while dance partner Chris Appleton wrote: "Love u." One fan wrote: "Beautiful inside and out," as Jess Wright commented: "Absolutely girl. You are AMAZING in every way." Strictly star Bethany Antonia added: "You're incredible. This is iconic and we all [heart emoji] you."
Strictly Come Dancing continues on Saturday at 6.30pm on BBC One and iPlayer.
