Strictly’s Amy Dowden praised for ‘iconic’ sassy response to Brendan Cole’s criticism

‘Why are you so obsessed with me?’ asked Amy Dowden following Brendan Cole’s ‘rude’ jibes (Picture: Instagram/Amy Dowden/REX) Strictly Come Dancing professional Amy Dowden has hit back at Brendan Cole’s jibes in ‘iconic’ style. Fans rallied around the Welsh dancer, 36, this week after ex-pro Brendan, 50, who appeared on Strictly from 2004 to 2017, claimed she is ‘not up to the challenge’. His comments came after an admittedly ‘heartbroken’ Amy became the first eliminated pro of the series, as she and celebrity hairdresser Chris Appleton, 43, lost out in last weekend’s dance-off. Weighing in on her exit, New Zealand star Brendan said: ‘To be a pro on Strictly is a big job, and one has to be up to the challenge. Amy has not been up to the challenge, in my opinion.’ He added to Sky Vegas: ‘I don’t think Amy’s been doing a very good job for the last few years, and she’s been out first for the last few years. One can do the maths on that.’ Get personalised updates on Strictly Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro’s TV Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we’ll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you. Brendan also argued that it was ‘very obvious the job [had] not been done’, having noticed Amy ‘counting’ for Chris during their routines, which he didn’t think viewers were ‘enjoying’. Fans were quick to defend Amy, who has been part of the Strictly family since 2017, by accusing Brendan of ‘jealousy’ and ‘bitterness’. Now, the woman herself has responded with an Instagram video posted moments before tonight’s live show began. Filmed in her dressing room, the video showed a gorgeous, glittering Amy wearing a silver dress and blowing a cheeky kiss to the camera. She mimed the famous Mariah Carey soundbite, ‘And I was like, why are you so obsessed with me?’ which is the opening line of the music icon’s 2009 single Obsessed, and has become a go-to for social media clapbacks. In her caption, she added: ‘If you know, you know 😜🎀💖💃 #bekind #inaworldyoucanbeanythingbekind’. Viewers of the BBC show flooded the comments with praise for Amy’s sassy attitude, with @lillyannhenson writing: ‘this is sooo iconic of you !!! 🩷’ ‘YESSSSS QUEEN YOU TELL HIM’, commented @leahgray7. Amy was eliminated first from this year’s Strictly with her celebrity partner, Chris Appleton (Picture: BBC/Guy Levy) Brendan claimed the Welsh pro is not ‘up to the challenge’ (Picture: Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock) @alexknightz added: ‘that so called ex-pro could never, for someone who hates Strictly all he does is talk about it, he’s just jealous, keep on slaying life Amy ❤️❤️’ @zoebails called it a ‘perfect response’, while @patricia_faulkner1962 branded Brendan’s remarks ‘so rude’. Amy also had the full support of her co-stars, as actress Bethany Antonia, who is paired with Nancy Xu this series, penned: ‘You’re incredible. This is iconic and we all ❤️ you’. Aljaž Škorjanec commented with a laughing face and applauding emoji, and former dance partner Chris added sweetly: ‘Love u ❤️’ Amy has had a rocky few years on Strictly after returning to pro dancer duties in 2024, having taken 2023 off to undergo a mastectomy and chemotherapy for breast cancer. Initially, she made a strong comeback with JLS star JB Gill as her partner, but disaster struck at Halloween when she collapsed backstage and had to be taken to hospital. Amy clapped back with a sassy video, with viewers calling it ‘iconic’ (Picture: Instagram/Amy Dowden) The dancer looked stunning in a sparkly dress as she grooved to Obsessed by Mariah Carey (Picture: Instagram/Amy Dowden) She later had to withdraw from the season completely due to a foot injury, with Lauren Oakley stepping in and taking the She Makes Me Wanna pop star to the final. And in 2025, she was eliminated first alongside The Apprentice’s Thomas Skinner, whose casting was wildly controversial and prompted fan outrage, with many demanding ‘better’ for Amy. Then, of course, Amy’s 2026 journey to the Glitter Ball was cut short once more, as she and Chris landed in the bottom two and lost out unanimously to Jaime Winstone and Carlos Gu after dancing for survival. Despite giving it their all with a Baywatch-inspired Movie Week routine, Shirley Ballas, Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, and Anton Du Beke all voted for Jaime and Carlos, who performed a Pretty Woman cha-cha. Speaking after their elimination, Amy told host Emma Willis: ‘Obviously, I’m heartbroken. This seems to be my luck the last few years, but do you know what? My heart is only breaking because I don’t get to dance with [Chris] on Monday. ‘But I get a friend for life, and that’s what’s gonna heal my broken heart.’ Chris showed Amy around the countryside following their elimination (Picture: Instagram/Amy Dowden) Amy said he will be a ‘friend for life’ (Picture: Instagram/Amy Dowden) Celeb hairdresser Chris has a home in the Cotswolds (Picture: Instagram/Amy Dowden) Chris also insisted they would remain in contact, adding: ‘I am so grateful that I met someone with so much heart and passion. I already wish I did better for her, because she deserves to go further in the competition.’ Indeed, he and Amy have already proven they want to remain in touch, as while they may not have been in the rehearsal room this week, they still spent time together at his manor in the Cotswolds. On social media, they shared snaps from a countryside outing, posing under the autumn trees, eating scones, and exploring the woodlands. Amy captioned her post: ‘Looking slightly different to on the dance floor 😜💖. Thank you @chrisappleton1 for the most beautiful day in the countryside. A day and a soul I’m so lucky to have. 🙏🩵💖’ ‘Aww babe so much fun! I’m glad I got to show you the goats 🐐😍’, Chris replied. 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