Latest news with #BrendanCole
Daily Mirror
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Fiona Phillips left 'traumatised' by Strictly Come Dancing's Brendan Cole
Telly legend Fiona Phillips is said to have been left 'traumatised' after her appearance on Strictly Come Dancing in 2005, after working with professional star Brendan Cole Fiona Phillips was "on the brink of tears" and was "traumatised" after working with Strictly Come Dancing's Brendan Cole. The former GMTV host, who is battling Alzheimer's disease after being diagnosed at the age of just 61, has opened up about her appearance on the BBC programme two decades ago. During her time on the show, Fiona, now 64, competed with professional dancer Brendan Cole, 49, but admits that while some may have viewed the show as full of glitz and glamour, her reality was far from this. Instead, Fiona was left close to tears on a regular basis and questioned her decision to take part. Now, two decades later, she says she has "blocked out" the memories from the programme after being kicked out in the fourth week, which she says was a relief. Fiona is set to release a book documenting her career and her journey since her diagnosis in 2022, which the Mirror revealed during an in-depth interview with the broadcaster. In the memoir, titled Remember When: My Life With Alzheimer's, published by the Daily Mail, the veteran broadcaster said: "He [Brendan Cole] could also be seen looking at my dancing and saying, 'Pathetic, it's not good enough!' Then I'm begging him to 'stop shouting' and worrying that I look completely ridiculous. "There's a clip where I say to the cameraman that Brendan is looking at me like he's stepped in something. I really don't remember much of that time now – maybe I blocked it out because all I recall is the sense that it was incredibly traumatic." She went on to say that she was on the brink of crying during the majority of the time and felt 'exhausted'. Fiona went on to say that she questioned her time on the show as she had just put her mother in a care home and didn't know why she was taking part in the competition. "Fortunately (although I don't think Brendan saw it that way), we were voted out in week four. It was all over on Bonfire Night. What a relief," she added. Brendan's contract for the show was not renewed in 2018, with the dancer becoming tearful on ITV's Lorraine when he shared the news that year. Following the news, Fiona said it was "karma" and hit out at the dancer, saying he was "really naughty." Speaking to the Daily Star, she said: "Brendan was a real b****r, actually. He wasn't very nice. He was really naughty. "He's not on the show now. Karma indeed. It works its way every time." Since her heartbreaking diagnosis, Fiona has tried to remain positive and has kept herself busy with walks in the park and having coffee with friends. Speaking to the Mirror's former editor, Alison Phillips, she said in 2023: "I'm living with it by not letting it ruin things. I am just carrying on as much as I can. It's when I talk about it that I can't quite believe I'm talking about myself - I'm used to talking about it in relation to my mum and my dad having it... "My whole family have been slaughtered by it. I'm not sure if the drugs are working or not... I don't think anyone would know there is anything wrong with me.. but who knows? Would they?" The Mirror has approached Brendan Cole's spokesperson for comment.
Daily Mail
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Fiona Phillips, 64, reveals she 'blocked out' memories of Strictly because she was 'traumatised' by Brendan Cole - as husband Martin Frizell issues update on her Alzheimer's diagnosis
Fiona Phillips has revealed she 'blocked out' memories of her 2005 Strictly Come Dancing stint because he was 'traumatised' by professional dancer Brendan Cole. The broadcaster, 64, was reflecting on her life and career in the wake of her Alzheimer's diagnosis, which she received in 2022 at the age of just 61. In an extract from her upcoming memoir, Remember When: My Life With Alzheimer's, she detailed her time on the BBC show, sharing how she felt when footage of Brendan 'shouting and swearing' at her during rehearsals resurfaced amid the show's bullying probe. Fiona wrote: 'He could also be seen looking at my dancing and saying, "Pathetic, it's not good enough!" Then I'm begging him to "stop shouting" and worrying that I look completely ridiculous. 'There's a clip where I say to the cameraman that Brendan is looking at me like he's stepped in something. 'I really don't remember much of that time now – maybe I blocked it out because all I recall is the sense that it was incredibly traumatic.' Fiona continued: 'I was on the brink of tears most of the time and felt utterly exhausted. 'And it all seemed so pointless. Brendan would be swinging me around the dance floor for a paso doble and I'd be thinking, "I've just put Mum in a care home, what on Earth am I doing dressed up to the nines in a dancing competition?" 'I should probably have told the crew – or even Brendan – how much I was struggling, but I didn't. I just stumbled on. Literally. 'Fortunately (although I don't think Brendan saw it that way), we were voted out in week four. It was all over on Bonfire Night. What a relief!' Brendan did not have his Strictly contract renewed in 2018 and famously became tearful when he announced the news on Lorraine in January of that year. Fiona later branded his axing 'karma'. MailOnline has contacted Brendan's representatives for comment. On the weekend, Fiona's husband Martin Frizell issued an update on the former GMTV host's condition as he revealed she had remembered an outing they'd had three years prior. He shared a throwback snap of the couple attending Silverstone in 2022, in which the pair cosied up for the camera. Martin revealed he had a 'smile on his face' because Fiona had remembered an outing they'd had to Silverstone three years prior with 'quite a few of the details' Martin captioned the post: 'Fond memories in Lando's garage at Silverstone from '22, good luck to This Morning's adopted son today. 'Fiona remembers meeting and speaking with Lando, what a great treat this was and quite a few of the details - put a smile on my face today.' Following Fiona's diagnosis she revealed she was put on a drugs trial in an attempt to slow down the symptoms, something which she says appears to be working for her. In a previous interview with Women&Home magazine, Fiona said: 'I'm on a clinical trial and the signs are positive. 'I'm taking part in a revolutionary drug trial that's trying to find a cure. It involves a brand-new drug and a placebo, and I have no idea which one I'm on. 'When I went for my six-month check-up in October, they did cognitive tests to see where my brain was at, which showed that I was in the same place as I was the previous year. 'I'm hopeful that the drug is holding the disease where it is. I'd rather not have to be on the trial but I'm very grateful I am. 'There are risks, including bleeding on the brain, so I'm a guinea pig, but there's a real chance it could help.' Remember When: My Life With Alzheimer's, by Fiona Phillips will be published on July 17. What is Alzheimer's? Alzheimer's disease is a progressive, degenerative disease of the brain, in which build-up of abnormal proteins causes nerve cells to die. This disrupts the transmitters that carry messages, and causes the brain to shrink. More than 5 million people suffer from the disease in the US, where it is the 6th leading cause of death, and more than 1 million Britons have it. WHAT HAPPENS? As brain cells die, the functions they provide are lost. That includes memory, orientation and the ability to think and reason. The progress of the disease is slow and gradual. On average, patients live five to seven years after diagnosis, but some may live for ten to 15 years. EARLY SYMPTOMS: Loss of short-term memory Disorientation Behavioral changes Mood swings Difficulties dealing with money or making a phone call LATER SYMPTOMS: Severe memory loss, forgetting close family members, familiar objects or places Becoming anxious and frustrated over inability to make sense of the world, leading to aggressive behavior Eventually lose ability to walk May have problems eating The majority will eventually need 24-hour care
Daily Mirror
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
'We were Strictly stars - the show is past its best but we know how to save it'
EXCLUSIVE: Former Strictly professional dancers Brendan Cole, Vincent Simone and Pasha Kovalev give their honest opinion to the Mirror about how BBC bosses can save Strictly Come Dancing at a time of crisis Strictly Come Dancing has long been the diamond in the BBC 's crown ever since it waltzed onto our screens back in 2004. But over the last few years, the beloved show has become more of a thorn in the corporation's side after having to deal with an endless stream of scandals. Most recently, Jamie Borthwick - who was partnered with new pro Michelle Tsiakkas last year - was suspended from his 19-year role on EastEnders for using a derogatory term about disabled people. The 30-year-old actor has since apologised, but the incident occurred while he was filming Strictly and used the slur to describe locals in Blackpool. It came just months after radio presenter Wynne Evans was axed from the Strictly tour, and subsequently let go from the BBC entirely, after he was caught on camera making a 'spit roast' remark. At the time, he apologised - though has since claimed he was 'horrified' at the way the statement was issued by the BBC. Yet questions about the future of Strictly were already drawn last year following the bullying probe launched into the behaviour of professional dancers. What followed was a tightening of rules in training sessions and the BBC show having the fewest female celebrities in its 20-year history. So after everything that's happened and the changes it has undergone, can the show still be saved? Beloved pro dancer Vincent Simone - who starred on the BBC show from 2006 until 2012 - tells the Mirror that he would like to see the show stripped back to its original format. 'Back in our day with Bruce [Forsyth], it was a very traditional Ballroom and Latin American show,' Vincent Simone explains. 'Now it has developed so much and they've introduced so many different styles that me, myself, would be struggling to do like contemporary and all that stuff. 'It didn't used to have any special effects - it was literally someone handing me over a CD with the music and saying good luck, off you go for next week. It's a much bigger team now with choreographers, helpers and cameras and so they juice it up a lot more. Sometimes I always feel like it's nice to strip it back to just two people dancing with the music. Like, really simple. I like that side of it.' Brendan Cole, Strictly's legendary 'bad boy' pro from 2004 until 2017, admits that he feels the show has lost a little bit of its magic. However, unlike Vincent, doesn't feel that the show can go back to basics. 'With these big shows, the longer they run, the more bells and whistles,' he says. 'Because every year a new producer steps in, they want to make the show their own. When [Strictly] first started there was a magic about it but if you watch that show now, it would probably seem very, very basic and very average compared to what you watch now. 'But of its day, it had a magic and it had a beauty and it was very innocent. It's probably lost a little bit of that, but I don't think you could return to that format. I think shows have to improve and have to compete with other shows, otherwise they get left behind. 'Strictly had an amazing 20 something years on television. I don't think you can compare the start to finish, but what you can do is admire the way the show has been produced over the years, and the fact that it still has a good family sort of value.' He adds: 'So yes, it's had a couple of it may have had a couple of rocky years, but I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. It's just time.' While Pasha Kovalev, who fell in love with his now-wife Rachel Riley while working on the show from 2011 until 2018, says that he misses the original VTs which showed the relationships between the pro and celebrity develop in the training room as opposed to the skits that are filmed now. 'You don't really speak much on the show,' he says. 'You stand next to your celebrity and listen to what the judges say. Those VTs before could show the actual friendship and relationship that develops between the two people on the dance floor in the dance room and you can get your personality across. That's why everyone loves Vincent now.' Vincent interjects cheekily: 'We had personality back in the day!' The charismatic trio, who are about to join fellow former pros James Jordan and Ian Waite on their The Return of the Legends tour across the country, still watch the show despite no longer being a part of it and are grateful for the opportunities it gave them. However, Vincent admits that there was a 'hole' in his life when he left the show. 'I was content when I left but then there is almost like a clock inside your system so that when it comes to September, you know that the show is about to start. So I felt a bit lost, even though I went on to do another show [I'm A Celebrity]. 'But still, every year since then, when it comes to the autumn, there is that sort of hollow feeling about missing out on the show.' Yet, he says that he wouldn't ever return as a pro on the show. 'When I was asked to go back and choreograph some of the Argentine Tangos and I had to spend time with the celebrity and pro, that's when I realised no way could I do this again. They are long days and hours in the training room - it's not easy, what they do. 'I left at the right time, because the thought of spending every day for eight hours in the studio and chatting to the guy, it's, it's draining. You need to be young and free of children or wives and so on. So in a way, that helped me move on from the show.' While Pasha admits he found it relatively easy to leave the show when he did. 'I only did it for eight years, not 15 like Brendan,' he says. 'So at that point, I knew that I wanted to do something else. I was ready to move on. It was my decision and I never looked back.I had an amazing time and I met so many wonderful people and who I'm still friends with, and that was enough.' Brendan admits that he never thought of a life after Strictly as it had consumed his whole life for so long, so the prospect of leaving had been scary. In 2018, Brendan admitted that he was 'in shock' and 'very disappointed' after learning BBC bosses had axed him from the show. The 49-year-old, who moved to Mallorca with his wife Zoe Hobbs and their two children after Covid, says: 'I must have been asked 1000 times during my time on Strictly, 'What are you going to do after? What's next?' And I never had an answer for that. I was always like, 'I actually have no idea. I don't know what will fill that five, six month gap of the year.'It consumes you because it doesn't just start when you start the show, it starts months before that with thinking about music, ideas, etc. 'I was a little bit sad when it was over because it was such a bit part of my life, but that sadness ended the day I sort of said it out loud and I went, 'Okay, I'm no longer a Strictly dancer.' It was hard to say at first initially. But then, as soon I said it, it was like a weight had lifted and I was like, 'Right, what the hell is next? Let's go!' 'And I actually had the most incredible year doing the most incredible TV shows and theatre productions. My world changed completely, and it changed for the better. But it's all thanks to being on Strictly for so many years. Well, not all thanks, but I was very proud of my time on the show. It was a phenomenal 15 series - even the bad ones, the horrible ones I hated, they're still part of a journey that makes you who you are now.'
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
ITV Dancing on Ice star says show 'can't compete with Strictly' as he slams judging panel
A former Dancing on Ice star has claimed that the ITV skating show will never compete with Strictly Come Dancing's 'high standards' as he slammed the judging panel. Brendan Cole, who came runner-up on the show in 2022 with pro partner Vanessa, says 'Dancing On Ice need to switch things up'. The show is currently in its sixth week, with remaining contestants including TOWIE star Dan Edgar, EastEnders actress Charlie Brooks and former footballer Anton Ferdinand all skating in 80's week in a bid to remain in the competition. But opening up in a new interview with Betway, former contestant Brendan insisted that they need to make some changes to the current format. READ MORE: Midsomer Murders star 'favourite' to replace Neil Dudgeon as first female detective READ MORE: EastEnders fans shocked to find out Priya star's real-life mum is famous soap actress The pro dancer, who was a professional dancer on Strictly for 14 years before leaving in 2018, also blasted the judging panel Ashley Banjo, Oti Mabuse, Jayne Torvill, and Christopher Dean, insisting they're 'too nice' to contestants. "The show is the same format, they haven't really changed anything. I thought they might try and change the format and make it a little different to what it has been in the past," Brendan told Betway Casino. "The contestants and pros this year have had a lot of issues, and a lot of injuries. We've already seen everything, so there needs to be more excitement somehow. "They had a headbanger performed the other night but that's not actually that challenging, it's more about momentum than skill. I want to see groundbreaking stuff so maybe they need to find contestants that can achieve that." Comparing the skating contest to Strictly, Brendan said: "When I watch the choreography I think there's something missing, something that Strictly has. Strictly has maintained a high standard and pushed boundaries. "The quality of dancing on Strictly is better now than it was in my day. That's potentially why it maintains such a high audience. Even the judges on DOI are too lovely in my opinion. Personally, I believe they need some grit in there. The contestants have had enough training and could use the critique.' He added: 'Being a pro dancer gave me an advantage from a performance point of view, and that's possibly what's lacking in the show this year. There seems to be a lack of performance, and people who are able to show the dance side of it. "Being a dancer gave me an advantage and in my year, there were three of us with a dance background so it made for an exciting show. That's what I feel is missing this year. Once you've got the skating part down, it becomes a lot easier. "There is a certain knack to it. It's still a hard skill to master and I definitely didn't have it from the get-go but yes, the performance side of things helped.'
