Brendan Cole 'Gutted' by Backlash Over Amy Dowden Critique, Friend Claims

Former "Strictly Come Dancing" professional Brendan Cole is "gutted" and "quite upset" by the backlash he has received for his critique of professional dancer Amy Dowden's skills, according to his friend and touring partner James Jordan.

Cole's comments, made in an interview, suggested that Dowden "hasn't been up to the challenge" of training a celebrity partner this season, despite her bravery in returning to the show after battling cancer. Dowden and her celebrity partner were the first to be eliminated from the current BBC series.

Following her exit, Cole expressed his view that Dowden "hasn't been doing a very good job" and that her performance indicated "the job has not been done." He pointed out that she had been the first pro eliminated in previous years as well.

James Jordan told the Daily Mail that Cole's remarks were "taken out of proportion" and that he "never meant it in that way." Jordan explained that Cole was specifically asked about the choreography and the dancing, not about Dowden's personal health battles. "He was just asked about her dancing," Jordan said. "He wasn't asked about any of that."

Jordan added that Cole feels the situation has made him "look really, really bad" despite his intentions. He suggested that in hindsight, Cole should have reached out to Dowden directly to explain his perspective. "He's a bit gutted about the whole thing because he said I didn't mean it in the way that everyone's saying that, but what can you do?" Jordan stated.

Dowden herself appeared to respond to Cole's critique with a social media post featuring a clip of Mariah Carey's song "Obsessed," accompanied by the caption "#bekind #inaworldyoucanbeanythingbekind." This response was met with widespread support from fans who praised her as an "icon" and defended her against Cole's comments.

Cole had previously stated that being a "pro on Strictly is a big job and one has to be up to the challenge." He remarked that he did not think people were enjoying the performances when the professional dancers appear to be over-coaching.

Amy Dowden announced in February 2024 that she was cancer-free after being diagnosed with stage-three breast cancer in May 2023. She underwent a mastectomy and later dealt with another type of cancer found elsewhere in her body. She returned to "Strictly" in 2024 with partner JB Gill but had to withdraw mid-series after collapsing backstage. In the previous year, she danced with Thomas Skinner, and they were the first pair eliminated.

Jordan indicated that Cole is unlikely to issue a public apology, believing he "has done nothing wrong" and preferring to let the situation settle. He described Cole as being in a difficult position, "damned if you do, damned if you don't."