Strictly Come Dancing viewers beg Brendan Cole not to leave

Fans have urged Brendan Cole not to exit Strictly Come Dancing after comments he made sparked speculation he may be considering waltzing off the dancing show.

Cole and his partner Charlotte Hawkins became the third couple to leave the series on Sunday night after the judges voted to save EastEnders star Davood Ghadami.

Comments made by Cole during their farewell interview with host Tess Daly sparked speculation about him leaving the series.

He said: “Not often you stand here with such sadness and go ‘I’m going to miss this and I’m going to miss hanging out with this girl’. I’m going to miss dancing with her, I’ve had one of the best Strictlys in 15 years and it’s hard for me to even say that and I feel really emotional.”

Hawkins welled up on Good Morning Britain following her eviction as she said it had been “a difficult morning” and she admitted she was “sad that it’s all over”.

Cole tweeted that he was sad too, writing: “Sad just thinking about it. @CharlotteHawkns & I are out of @bbcstrictly. Charlotte, you made it one of the best series I’ve ever had #sad.”

He added: “Thank you to all who supported and tried to keep us in. We had a ball and weren’t quite ready to go. @CharlotteHawkns you did yourself proud.”

The dancer did not make any mention about whether or not his comments from Sunday night were a hint at his fate with the series or not.

Fans flooded his Twitter timeline pleading with him not to leave the BBC One series.

One wrote: “Don’t you dare quit @bbcstrictly . You ARE Strictly. You’ve been there from the get go & the fans love you being there.”

Another said: “Please take your time to make any decisions, you’re one of the best things about the show, loved watching you both :)”

Another viewer commented: “You we’re a fantastic pairing! You should be so proud. Judges very rude. Keep dancing Brendan xx”

“You are the best thing about Strictly! Love the way you supported Charlotte! Don’t let them drive you out- you are Strictly! See you on tour”, wrote another Strictly fan.

One fan referenced new judge Shirley Ballas, writing: “Hope you stay for another series and give that Ballas woman hell.”

Cole and Ballas, who replaced head judge Len Goodman this year, had an awkward exchange during a previous Saturday night show.

Following their tango, Cole hit back as Ballas critiqued their routine and he told the judge: “I’m really sorry, but there was no rise and fall.”

She told him to look back over the footage, to which he firmly responded: “I will, my dear.”

Strictly judge Bruno Tonioli also took Cole to task and told him he should be more respectful to the new head judge.

Cole later defended Hawkins and his comments to the judges, telling Good Morning Britain: “I’ve watched the tape back, I’ve seen it – there is no rise and fall in it.

“You could argue with anybody, you could say Aston (Merrygold) didn’t do a proper cha cha, but he did an amazing cha cha.

“What Charlotte did on Saturday was a phenomenal dance compared to what we’d done before and given the fact she’s not one of the people from X Factor.”

Cole’s publicist has been contacted for comment.