Amy Dowden Challenges Brendan Cole After Criticism of Her Strictly Performances

Amy Dowden’s sharpest response to Brendan Cole’s criticism was also her clearest point: if he had concerns about her work, she says, he could have spoken to her directly. The former Strictly Come Dancing professional says Cole has her number but did not contact her after questioning her ability to train celebrity partners.

Speaking at Monday night’s Pride of Britain Awards, Dowden said the coverage of Cole’s remarks had been upsetting. She told the Daily Mail that a direct conversation would have been “the decent thing to do.” Instead, she said, she had heard nothing from him.

“Rather than him worry about what the headlines were saying about himself, it would’ve been nice for him to call. He’s got my number,” Dowden said. Asked whether Cole had been in touch, she answered: “Nothing, I’ve not heard from him. It’s fine, I don’t expect anything else.”

A critique that went beyond one routine

Cole’s remarks concerned Dowden’s partnership with celebrity hairdresser Chris Appleton, 43. The pair were the first couple eliminated from this year’s competition, making it Dowden’s second consecutive first-round exit. She had reached the same stage last year with businessman Thomas Skinner.

Speaking to Sky Vegas, Cole framed his assessment as a question of whether Dowden had met the demands of the professional role. “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 said.

He also focused on how she guided Appleton during their routine, saying she was “counting him in” and “counting every step for him.” That criticism targeted the visible mechanics of their performance as well as Dowden’s wider suitability for the job. For a professional dancer, the distinction matters: scrutiny of a particular routine can be tied to what happened on the floor, while a broader verdict reaches into the dancer’s capability across the partnership.

Dowden pushed back on that wider judgement and its personal impact. “Some of those headlines were quite upsetting. He said I’ve not done a good job since my cancer,” she said. When asked whether she thought a male professional would have faced the same criticism, she declined to speculate about a comparison. “I don’t know, I just don’t want to give him the attention he so desperately craves,” she replied.

Recovery and a complicated return

The reference to her health carries particular weight in light of Dowden’s recent history. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2023 and missed that year’s series while undergoing treatment, including a mastectomy and chemotherapy. In February 2024, she said tests had found “no evidence of disease”; she also said injections and regular check-ups would continue.

Her return to the show came in autumn 2024, when she partnered JLS singer JB Gill. A foot injury forced her to withdraw, and fellow professional Lauren Oakley took over as Gill’s partner. This year’s run with Appleton therefore followed an interrupted return and two early exits in succession. Those results provide context for the attention on her partnerships, but they do not settle the question Cole raised about her work.

Dowden had already offered a brief social media response. In a dressing-room video, she blew a kiss and mimed along to the opening of Mariah Carey’s “Obsessed.” Her Instagram caption read: “If you know, you know #bekind #inaworldyoucanbeanythingbekind.” The post gave no detailed rebuttal; her comments at the awards put the focus instead on the absence of a direct conversation.

That leaves two questions hanging over the exchange: what Cole meant by his criticism of Dowden’s teaching and performance, and whether either dancer will address the dispute directly. For now, Dowden has made her position plain: the personal headlines hurt, and a call would have been preferable to public remarks.

Strictly Come Dancing airs Saturdays and Sundays on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.