Strictly Come Dancing professional of yore Brendan Cole has weighed in on Amy Dowden’s performance on the BBC show.
The 36-year-old star has been in and out of the series in recent years, after she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2023, for which she underwent a mastectomy and chemotherapy.
She returned in 2024, after receiving the all-clear, and was partnered with JLS singer JB Gill, but was taken to hospital during the run after collapsing backstage during Halloween week.
Dowden went on to withdraw from that series entirely due to a foot injury. The following year, she was paired with Thomas Skinner, who became the first celebrity to be knocked out of the competition.
She has now met the same fate this year, after she and Kim Kardashian’s hairdresser Chris Appleton were the first to go over the weekend.
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Former Strictly professional dancer Cole – who was on the show from its launch in 2004 to 2017 – has now critiqued her performance.
Speaking to Sky Vegas, the New Zealand dancer said: ‘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.
‘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.’
Referring to her partnership with Appleton, he added: ‘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.’
Metro contacted Dowden’s representative for comment on Cole’s assessment.
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Dowden and Appleton faced off against Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu in a bid for survival on Sunday night, after both came in at the bottom of the scoreboard.
Despite baring abs in a Baywatch-inspired cha-cha number, Appleton was first for the chop in a unanimous decision from the judges. He said the Strictly experience had been a ‘whirlwind of emotion’.
He added: ‘The most important thing I think I’ll take from this show is having a friend in Amy, because I am so grateful that I met someone with so much heart and passion. I already wish I did better for her, because she deserves to go further in the competition.’
The Welsh pro said: ‘Watching Chris grow in confidence, although it was short-lived – only two weeks – that is what I’ll take away.’
Reflecting on her brief stint last series, she said: ‘Obviously, I’m heartbroken. This seems to be my luck the last few years, but do you know what? My heart is only breaking because I don’t get to dance with [Chris] on Monday.
‘But I get a friend for life, and that’s what’s gonna heal my broken heart.’
Strictly Come Dancing returns on BBC One on Saturday at 6.15pm.