James Jordan defends Brendan Cole over Amy Dowden criticism

Brendan Cole, a Strictly Come Dancing professional dancer, criticized Amy Dowden's recent performance, suggesting she had not met the challenge of the show and was not performing well in recent years.

Dowden faced health challenges in 2023 after being diagnosed with stage three breast cancer, undergoing two mastectomies, chemotherapy, and fertility treatment.

Her return to Strict, in 2024 was cut short by a foot injury, and she was eliminated in 2025 and 2026, alongside Thomas Skinner and Mr Appleton, respectively.

Dowden did not directly respond to Cole's comments but received support from fans and fellow Strictly dancers after a cryptic social media post that many interpreted as a response to Cole.

James Jordan, Cole's touring partner and columnist for WhichBingo, defended Cole, stating the comments were about her dancing and not a personal attack.

Jordan emphasized that Cole was upset by the media's focus on the comments and insisted that Cole's remarks were not intended to be negative, but rather an opinion on her choreography.

Jordan also dismissed the idea that Dowden should be immune to criticism due to her health struggles, arguing that people with similar conditions should not be shielded from critique.

Jordan suggested that Cole should have reached out to Dowden to clarify his comments, but expressed hope that the situation would eventually be resolved without further controversy.