Brendan Cole slams 'dull' Adam Thomas after actor's Strictly debut

28 September 2023 , 12:51

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Brendan Cole slammed this year's Strictly contestants

Brendan Cole slammed "average" Adam Thomas after the former Emmerdale star’s Strictly Come Dancing debut.

The 35-year-old performed a Cha Cha with professional dance partner Luba Mushtuk, and scored just 19 points after failing to impress the judges with his energetic routine. Despite Adam remaining upbeat about being third from bottom on the scoreboard after last weekend’s first live show, ex-Strictly star Brendan has savagely criticised the former soap star, and said he expected more from the hunky actor.

“I think his partner needs to do better. I didn't like the choreography choice. I didn't like the set to start the show,” he said in a scathing interview with Sky Bingo. “I mean, that could be production intervening and going, 'we want this', but for me it lacked, it seemed like an average routine.” Adam and Luba performed the Cha Cha to the Jonas Brothers’ track Waffle House, and expectations were high as they were picked to be the first couple out of this year’s celebrity line up to open the live show.

Adam Thomas disappointed the New Zealand pro dancer (BBC/Ray Burmiston)

“It was opening the show so that was kind of odd. I was pleased to watch him because he's really nice to watch, but at the end, it was kind of dull, but I don't think it's his fault,” Brendan continued. “I think he could do really, really well, but it's going to take some very clever stuff between them to make it right. I thought it was an average looking number for somebody who should be quite fun to watch.” Adam, who was one of the finalists in I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! In 2016, is one of the favourites to do well in the BBC show, but faces stiff competition from EastEnders star Bobby Brazier, who has been the bookies’ favourite to win the glitterball trophy since it was announced he was taking part.

Brendan dramatically left the show in 2018 (BBC)

Elsewhere in the interview, Brendan criticised judges Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Anton Du Beke, and said they were unaware of the huge impact their harsh feedback after a performance can have on an inexperienced dancer. “You go out and you think you’ve done a really good job, but the reality is, it’s not a particularly good job and then the judges rip into you and that’s soul-destroying,” he explained, as he urged them to think about the mental health of the celebrities. “To pick yourself up from that, come Monday when you have to start again, you have five days to learn your new dance. You’ve spent two weeks working on one dance and now you have five days to learn another dance – that’s really hard.”

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He also predicted that Angela Rippon, who made history by becoming the show’s oldest contestant, won’t make it far in the competition, as he believes she won’t be able to cope as the competition progresses. “I do think she could get almost all the way through. I don't think she'd make the final because I think there will come a point where people look like they are really on it, they are flying around the floor, it'd be full on, high energy, and I don't know if that will continue throughout the show for Angela and Kai. I might be wrong,” he mused.

Emma Wilson