Strictly lineup declared 'unrecognisable' by former dancer Brendan Cole as he calls himself 'bitter old pro'

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Bishop, H. (2026, September 22). Strictly lineup declared 'unrecognisable' by former dancer Brendan Cole as he calls himself 'bitter old pro'. Evening Standard. https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/tvfilm/strictly-2026-lineup-brendan-cole-b1297891.html

Dated when The Aporia collected the article, usually within hours of publication. Check the original for its exact date and byline.

Evening Standard · collected 2026-09-22 · by Holly Bishop

Quick Summary

Former Strictly Come Dancing professional Brendan Cole criticized the current lineup of celebrities as less recognizable, expressing that he felt like a "bitter old pro." On Good Morning Britain on September 21, Cole argued that many stars in this year’s cast are unfamiliar to him. However, his fellow former professionals suggested that the show's format ensures it remains entertaining regardless of who participates.

Written by AI on 2026-09-22, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

Brendan Cole, a former Strictly Come Dancing professional dancer from New Zealand, criticized the current lineup of contestants during an appearance on Good Morning Britain on September 21. Cole expressed disappointment in not recognizing many of this year's celebrities, arguing that the show lacks star power compared to past seasons. He admitted his critique might sound like "bitter old pro" comments. Host Kate Garraway suggested that BBC producers may be targeting a younger audience with less familiar names. Fellow former professional dancer James Jordan countered by saying that regardless of who is on the show, viewers grow attached to contestants over time due to the format's enduring appeal.

Written for “Strictly Lineup Controversy” on 2026-10-30, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 Strictly Lineup Controversy

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This article reads unscored and hedges 0% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.

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0 of 15 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")

Leaning

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takes no side on a contested political question

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65/100

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Who wrote this

Holly Bishop

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Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.

All 88 articles by Holly Bishop →

Topics

Australian BBC New Zealand Paralympic

Subjects

Cole PERSON · 3× Australian NORP · 2× Delta Goodrem PERSON · 2× Lacey Turner PERSON · 2× BBC ORG · 1× Garraway PERSON · 1× James Jordan PERSON · 1× Jordan GPE · 1× Kate Garraway PERSON · 1× New Zealand GPE · 1×

Narrative

Appearing on Good Morning Britain on Monday, September 21, the New Zealand ballroom dancer said: “It’s hard to know them if you’re here [in the UK] because I don’t think there are many, many recognisable names on the show. “

framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-09-22

🔮 Fellow former pro James Jordan agreed with Garraway, arguing that the show is such a “juggernaut” that it will always be entertaining, regardless of the cast.

2026-09-22 · Evening Standard

Strictly lineup declared 'unrecognisable' by former dancer Brendan Cole as he calls himself 'bitter old pro' · assertive framing

Claims (15 extracted, 0 hedged)

The launch show saw an array of stars, ranging from EastEnders’ Lacey Turner to Australian singer Delta Goodrem, paired with their professional dancers ahead of the first live show earlier this week. asserted

array → see → show

However, Cole has been left unimpressed with this year’s batch of stars, many of whom he said he did not recognise at all. asserted

he → leave → whom

I → appear → show

And I certainly didn’t know them. asserted

I → know → them

I’m not a massive television watcher.” asserted

I → ’m → ?

He continued: “I don’t think it’s like it was. asserted

it → continue → ?

I sound like a bitter old pro, I probably am. asserted

I → sound → pro

“But it didn’t seem like it had that real ‘ooh this is going to be exciting’.” asserted

this → seem → ?

Host Kate Garraway conceded that perhaps BBC producers have cast this series with a younger audience in mind. asserted

producers → concede → mind

Fellow former pro James Jordan agreed with Garraway, arguing that the show is such a “juggernaut” that it will always be entertaining, regardless of the cast. asserted

it → agree → cast

He said: “I think whatever celebrities you have on there, we grow to love them over the week. asserted

we → say → week

“And the show is such a great format and it just works. asserted

it → work → ?

Whoever you have on there, even if it was nonsense, the show will still work because it's brilliant.” asserted

it → have → Whoever

“It’s a great show,” Cole conceded. asserted

Cole → ’ → ?

Cole and Jordan were joined by former professional dancers Pasha Kovalev, Ian Waite and Vincent Simone on the Good Morning Britain sofa as they discussed the new era of the reality competition. asserted

they → join → competition

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