The cast of Strictly Come Dancing 2025 have been handed a warning by former show pro Brendan Cole: “This year is going to be tough, and there are going to be some shock eliminations.”
Brendan, who competed on the show between 2004 and 2018, singled out a couple of celebrities who he expects will leave early on.
But he said with so many good dancers in the mix, there are going to be some “strong contenders leaving sooner than anyone would have thought”.
Strictly 2025 cast warned over ‘shock’ exits
Speaking exclusively to Entertainment Daily on behalf of Sky Vegas, Brendan wasn’t shy when it came to offering his opinion on this year’s Strictly stars.
“Chris [Robshaw] and Nadiya’s [Bychkova] chances are very slim – they’re in the danger zone,” he said. “If I’m being honest, while he did a decent job with what he was given, there was nothing exciting about it,” he said of their Week 1 samba.
“He didn’t really step out of his comfort zone. I wanted to see him ooze something – charisma, performance, personality – but there was none of that.”
‘From the waist down, it was a bag of spanners’
Balvinder Sopal and her pro partner Julian Caillon are also in danger of an early bath, Brendan reckons.
“The performance from Balvinder Sopal and Julian Caillon, for example – was flat-footed. There was no basic technique. From the waist up she looked lovely, lots going on with her arms and top line, which is what the judges tend to comment on.
“But from the waist down, it was a bag of spanners. And you simply can’t expect high marks if your technique is wrong, because technique underpins everything. If you’ve got great technique but lack performance, you should still get a solid score – because you’ve fundamentally understood the dance. You’re creating proper movement.”
‘It’s going to be tough’
Brendan picked out newcomer Amber Davies and Lioness Karen Carney “and a few of the males” who he thinks are very good. And added his warning: “It’s going to be a tough competition. And that means people will be going home earlier than expected. There are going to be shock eliminations – strong contenders leaving sooner than anyone would have thought.
“And honestly, I quite like that – it makes the whole series tense and exciting from start to finish.”
Read more: Concerns for Strictly fan-favourite Aljaz Skorjanec after Week 1 mishap
So who are you backing to win the 2025 series of Strictly Come Dancing? Tell us on our Facebook page @EntertainmentDailyFix.