Overview
- Former Strictly pro Brendan Cole publicly said he felt Amy Dowden "has not been up to the challenge" and criticised her choreography and timing following her exit from this series.
- Amy replied in a Mirror interview that she would not be personal and stressed the importance of kindness and role-model behaviour, then posted a lip-sync video that fans read as a light-hearted clapback.
- Several current Strictly professionals publicly backed Amy on social media, praising her response and calling her an icon.
- James Jordan, a long-time friend of Brendan Cole, told the Daily Mail that Cole is "gutted" and upset the remarks provoked a larger backlash, though no formal apology from Cole has been reported.
- Coverage has foregrounded Amy’s May 2023 stage-three breast cancer diagnosis and February 2024 update that tests showed no evidence of disease, which has shaped public sympathy and intensified attention on critiques of her performance.