Brendan Cole axed by Strictly Come Dancing bosses ‘due to huge ego and difficult behaviour’
STRICTLY Come Dancing bosses have axed bad boy Brendan Cole because of his huge ego and difficult behaviour.
The veteran professional performer confirmed producers had not renewed his contract after 14 years on the BBC1 hit.
And bosses allegedly axed him after losing patience with his antics behind the scenes.
Insiders claim many staff were “delighted” to see the back of him after he became increasingly difficult to work with.
His attitude was exposed in a dramatic on-air bust-up with Shirley Ballas, who beat him to a job on the show’s judging panel.
And a recent interview in which he criticised his celebrity partners on the show proved to be the final straw for furious bosses, triggering their decision to give him the boot.
A show source revealed: “Brendan’s ego and his attitude became too much to handle and in reality that’s why he’s gone. He brought it upon himself.
“By the end he was almost universally hated by staff on the show because he had become so bitter and difficult to work with.
“He used to be lovely and charming, but by the last series he thought he was bigger than the show. Some of the junior staff were too frightened to even talk to him because they worried he’d bite their heads off.
“He’s paid the price because nobody is bigger than the show.”
Another insider added: “There won’t be many on Strictly who are sad to see the back of Brendan.
“A few people actually cheered when they heard he was being kicked off. Many of the team are celebrating and think it’s exactly what he deserves.
In an emotional interview with ITV’s Lorraine Kelly this morning, Brendan, 41, said he was “in shock” after being ousted.
All of the show’s pro dancers are contracted on a year-by-year basis, but at this stage insiders say Brendan will be the only major star not to be asked back.
He said: “It’s quite, actually, hard to talk about. The BBC haven’t renewed my contract.
“They’ve made an editorial decision to not have me back on the show. I’m a little bit in shock. I’m quite emotional, a bit raw about it.
“It’s done via a process of a phone call and stuff.
“I have had 15 incredible series on the show. I’m very proud of the whole show. It’s a great team. I’m disappointed.”
He added: “I’m a very strong character within the show, I have my strong views.
“I feel like I’ve made a massive difference to the show.
“Even though the show has a different team, I will always be one of the ones who was part of the journey who got it to where it is today. And to not be a part of that is hard.
“It’s going to be hard for me to watch but I’m a fan of the show and the show comes first.”
Earlier today the BBC’s official Twitter account posted a gushing statement praising the axed dancer, saying: “We’d like to thank Brendan Cole for being part of the show since the beginning — winner of the first series — and for the contribution he has made to its success.
“We wish him all the very best for the future.”
Rumbas and rumbles
BRENDAN earned his reputation as the bad boy of ballroom after an affair with newsreader Natasha Kaplinsky, pictured left.
The fling between the pair, who won the first series in 2004, devastated his fiancée Camilla Dallerup, pictured right.
Camilla, also his ex-ballroom partner, later said: “What was really hurtful was not just that Brendan appeared to have forgotten he was engaged, the entire nation seem to have forgotten he was engaged.”
Claiming the first glitter ball trophy cemented his status as the show’s hottest dance star. But he went on to clash with judges and even his own partners, including singer Lulu who later admitted they were “not compatible”.
Pop’s Anastacia quit injured and said: “I got injured because he kept making me try to do something I couldn’t.”
Brendan and head judge Shirley Ballas were barely speaking off screen by the end of the 2017 series.
But clashes with the panel were nothing new.
In 2010 he told Len Goodman to “get to Specsavers” after one critical assessment.
However, a source added: “It’s all being dressed up as amicable, but they’re just words.
“In reality it’s anything but a fond goodbye.”
And former head judge Len Goodman, 73, said the show would be significantly poorer without the dancer’s fiery attitude.
He added: “I’m so sad. You can’t say he didn’t do a great job.
“He did and there was always a bit of an edge with him — the bad boy of ballroom.
“But there always has been egos with the professionals and it was the same when I danced, with anything competitive.”
Brendan first appeared on the show in 2004 after becoming a successful ballroom competitor with his then fiancée Camilla Dallerup.
But the pair split after the New Zealand-born star had a romance with celebrity partner Natasha Kaplinsky during the first series.
'Don't want opinions'
PALS rushing to support Brendan included ex-Strictly pro James Jordan — also axed after clashing with show bosses in 2013.
He tweeted: “Seems like they don’t want anyone on the show that has an opinion.”
Ex-dance partners Charlotte Hawkins and Sophie Ellis Bextor added praise.
Charlotte said: “It won’t be the same without him.”
He earned a reputation as a ladies’ man and bad boy.
There were fiery retorts to the show’s judging panel — including his defence of his most recent celeb partner, Good Morning Britain presenter Charlotte Hawkins, 42.
The judges, particularly head judge Ballas, 57, made comments about her performance before the pair were eliminated in week four.
And there were rumoured romances with model Abi Titmuss, singer and actress Martine McCutcheon and soap star Adele Silva.
He then married Zoe Hobbs, with whom he is expecting a second child, in 2010.