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Brendan Cole stuns fans as he admits Strictly can be a 'hideous show'

The pro dancer starred in 15 series of the BBC hit programme


brendan cole
Gemma Strong
Online Digital News Director
May 5, 2020
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Brendan Cole made a candid admission during his appearance on Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins. The 44-year-old – one of 12 stars to sign up to the show – opened up about his time on Strictly Come Dancing, stating that it can be a "hideous show" if you don't get on with your partner. "You've got to spend six, seven, eight, ten hours with this person you don't really like, and they don't like you," he explained. "I'm lucky, for the most part, my partners were lovely. I had a great relationship with a lot of them. Not all of them, but a lot of them."

WATCH: Brendan Cole on the Strictly curse

Brendan appeared in the first 15 series of Strictly, announcing in January 2018 that his contract had not been renewed. His partners have included Natasha Kaplinsky – the couple won the debut season – Fiona Phillips, Kelly Brook, Lulu, Victoria Pendleton, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Kirsty Gallacher, Anastacia and Charlotte Hawkins.

MORE: Strictly's Brendan Cole finally opens up about his rumoured affair with Natasha Kaplinsky: 'something happened'

brendan cole strictly

In 2018, he told the Sun: "I don't have a say in who I am partnered with. I don't think you would do it if you knew who some of them…were. Can I say that? I'm going to get fired, aren't I? I have not liked a few of them. It is more than 50 per cent of them I have liked. When you meet people and work with them you don't necessarily like all of them."

MORE: Brendan Cole's children have grown so much in new family photo

Brendan famously did not get on with singer Lulu, who admitted to The Mirror in 2011 that she was "horrified" to find out she would be dancing with him. But she added that their relationship later blossomed, calling him "adorable".

fiona phillips

The dancer has also described GMTV presenter Fiona Phillips as "the worst partner I've had" during their time on the show together in 2005, claiming she didn't take Strictly seriously enough. "She's the most lovely girl you could meet and she looks amazing," he shared. "But my style of doing things doesn't agree with our partnership, I suppose. She has lashed back and got rid of the fire under her bonnet. But it's mainly me dishing it out, unfortunately. She wants to call me names but I give her a bit of a hard time."

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