Strictly pro admits he couldn't be in the same studio as two celebrity partners

28 September 2023 , 08:32

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A former Strictly Come Dancing pro has revealed the impact of feuding with your celebrity partner has. It comes amid rumours that Giovanni Pernice and Amanda Abbington are already clashing on this year's season.

Brendan Cole, who starred on the BBC reality show until 2015, is best known for winning the original series with presenter Natasha Kaplinsky in 2003. The New Zealand ballroom dancer was axed from Strictly after his contract wasn't renewed, leaving him admittedly 'shocked' and 'quite emotional'.

He has now spoke openly about his own experience of rifting with his past partners, admitting that the lack of rapport can have a devastating effect on the pair's performance in the competition. Despite getting on with the majority of his partners, Brendan didn't always have the easiest time mentoring the celebrities behind-the-scenes.

""I've had that twice really strongly, where we couldn't even be in the same studio together," he said. The 47-year-old went on to warn that "you are in such trouble" if "you don't gel with your partner."

"You spend such a lot of time together, it's so intense," he explained. "The training is intense, the time you spend together in the studio, sometimes for hours, sometimes eight hours, sometimes longer."

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He added: “I really enjoyed working with half of them [the celebs on Strictly] and I really hated working with the other half. 60/40 and I'm not sure which way that goes either. The connection between the partnership is vital. If you get on really well, you’ll have an amazing time. You’ll enjoy going to work, you’re sad when it’s over, all that kind of thing.

“And the opposite is true when you don’t get along well – you can’t wait for it to finish and plead ‘please stop voting people!’ So, it’s an interesting dynamic but I had great partners. I could list them for you if you want but then you’ll know who I hated!”

Strictly pro admits he couldn't be in the same studio as two celebrity partners

Brendan Cole has spoken out about his own experience of feuding on Strictly (mirror.co.uk)

Brendan's comments come as speculation grows that Amanda Abbington and her partner, Giovanni Pernice, haven't been getting along backstage. "Giovanni is a hard taskmaster and takes the competition very, very seriously," a source told the Sun last week. "Sometimes his manner is incredibly brusque and this can upset his partners."

The insider also added that Amanda had been "looking forward" to having Giovanni as her mentor, but has come to find his "aggressive training style and attitude pretty difficult to handle." According to the source, the Sherlock star has even threatened to quit the sow after been left "shaken" by Giovanni's tough instruction.

Amanda was quick to shut down the speculation, however, taking to her Instagram with a sweary message to dismiss the reports as "nonsense."

Despite winning Strictly with EastEnders star Rose Ayling-Ellis in 2021, it's no secret that Giovanni has had issues with past partners on the glitzy show. Presenter Laura Whitmore, who was paired with the Italian ballroom dancer on the series in 2016, later said that she "cried every day" during filming.

"I was placed with a dance partner I was extremely uncomfortable with – and in the end I felt broken, I cried every day. And I really was broken, both mentally and physically, by the end," the 38-year-old admitted.

Giovanni was also rumoured to have had issues with Richie Anderson on last year's series, with some reports saying he was frustrated by the radio star's refusal to listen to him during rehearsals.

* Brendan Cole was speaking to Sky Bingo.

Emma Dooney

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