Amy Dowden Breaks Silence on Brendan Cole's 'Not up to the Challenge' Strictly Swipe

Strictly Come Dancing professional Amy Dowden has said Brendan Cole's claim that she was 'not up to the challenge' of being a pro was 'quite upsetting', and that he should have phoned her rather than criticise her publicly.

Speaking to the Daily Mail on the red carpet at the Pride of Britain Awards on Monday, Dowden, 36, said it would have been 'nice' if Cole had contacted her privately instead of discussing her in an interview.

'He's got my number,' she said. She added that the 'decent thing' would have been a call, and that she had not heard from him. 'I don't expect anything else,' she said.

Asked whether a male dancer would have faced the same criticism, she said she did not know. 'I just don't want to give him the attention he so desperately craves,' she added.

Speaking to The Mirror, she said she had 'never been brought up to be personal' and that it was important to 'be kind' and think about the next generation. She pointed to her work with charities and her dance academy, saying that being a role model to young fans mattered more.

Dowden has been eliminated in the opening week in consecutive series. She returned to the show after treatment for breast cancer, which she has said was diagnosed at stage three. She announced in February 2024 that she was cancer-free.

What Brendan Cole Said About Amy Dowden

Cole, 50, who left Strictly Come Dancing in 2017, made the comments in an interview with Sky Vegas after Dowden and her celebrity partner, hairstylist Chris Appleton, became the first couple eliminated from the current series.

'Amy has not been up to the challenge, in my opinion,' he said. He argued that she had been 'out first for the last few years' and that 'one can do the maths on that'.

He also criticised her teaching, claiming viewers could see her 'counting every step' for Appleton. 'It's very obvious that the job has not been done,' he said.

Amy Dowden's Instagram Video and Reaction

Before speaking to the press, Dowden posted an Instagram video filmed in her Strictly dressing room. Wearing a silver gown, she mimed to the opening line of a Mariah Carey song about someone being fixated on the singer and blew a kiss to the camera. Fans interpreted the clip as a response to Cole, though Dowden has not said so directly.

Her caption read 'If you know, you know' and added: 'In a world where you can be anything, be kind.' Fellow Strictly professionals Aljaž Škorjanec, Dianne Buswell and Kevin Clifton posted supportive comments, as did Carlos Gu, who called the clip 'iconic as always'.

James Jordan Defends Brendan Cole

Not everyone has criticised Cole. His friend and fellow former Strictly professional James Jordan defended him on GB News, saying Cole was 'really upset' by the coverage.

Jordan argued that criticism should not be off limits because someone has had cancer. 'What? You're not allowed to say something like that because someone's had cancer or someone has an ailment?' he said, comparing it with his own colitis diagnosis. 'He really didn't mean it in a negative way.'

Cole has not publicly responded to Dowden's latest remarks.