Strictly Come Dancing 2026 star Amy Dowden breaks silence on Brendan Cole’s criticism of her in new interview
Amy hit backStrictly Come Dancing 2026 pro Amy Dowden has responded to Brendan Cole’s criticisms, emphasising kindness and her responsibility as a role model.
Speaking to The Mirror, the dancer addressed remarks about her teaching after her latest early exit.
Her response follows a backlash from fans, who highlighted the health challenges she has faced. Amy returned to Strictly following treatment for aggressive grade three breast cancer.
Readers commenting on The Sun’s story about Brendan’s remarks criticised his assessment and urged him to leave Amy alone. Some questioned whether her partners’ abilities had been taken into account. Another praised her talent and branded the comments cruel.
Amy Dowden addresses Brendan Cole’s comments
Asked about Brendan’s criticism, Amy told The Mirror: “I’ll be honest, what do you expect from him?”
Amy explained that she had not been brought up to make personal remarks. She stressed the importance of kindness, particularly when considering the next generation.
Her focus, she explained, was on how she used her public profile, including her work with various charities.
She said: “But also I want to be the right kind of role model. I run a dance academy and all my little boys and girls really look up to me.”
For Amy, the example she sets extends beyond her television appearances to the children she teaches.
Why Brendan Cole criticised Amy Dowden
The criticism followed Amy’s early Strictly exit with Chris Appleton. It was her second consecutive year as the first professional voted out.
Brendan, who appeared as a professional from 2004 until 2017, questioned whether Amy was meeting the job’s demands.
Speaking to Sky Vegas, he said: “Amy has not been up to the challenge, in my opinion.
“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. She’s standing out there counting him in. She’s counting every step for him. It’s very obvious that the job has not been done, and I don’t think people are enjoying it,” he then added.
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Amy Dowden’s earlier message about kindness
Before the interview, Amy had already shared an Instagram post following Brendan’s comments.
Wearing a glittering ballroom dress, she danced and lip-synced to Mariah Carey’s Obsessed.
Her caption suggested followers would understand the reference, alongside hashtags encouraging people to be kind. The caption did not name Brendan directly.
Read more: Strictly Come Dancing 2026 fans in tears as Dianne Buswell and Will Best break down in emotional VT
The Strictly results show airs tonight (Sunday, October 18) from 7.10pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
This article was produced with the assistance of AI technology to synthesise source reporting and structured data. It has been reviewed, edited, and fact-checked by our human editorial team before publication.
