Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood has given his first interview since Brendan Cole's shock exit from the show, and he has some firm words for the professional dancer - reminiscent of their famous spats on the dancefloor. Craig told the Daily Mirror's Kim Carr: "Strictly will be better without Brendan." He went on to say - presumably about Brendan's reaction to his axing - "More fool him. The show’s done him wonders. It’s done us all wonders. It’s been fantastic. I would never complain about it. It’s given us all platforms on which to stand."
© Photo: RexStrictly judge Craig has broken his silence on Brendan's exit from the sho
"How many dancers in their life get a job that will last 15 years? Not many. Be grateful," he continued. Brendan and Craig notably had plenty of disagreements during their time together working on Strictly - most recently last year, when Craig criticised the dancer for breaking the rules on the show while partnering ITV presenter Charlotte Hawkins. "Brendan, of course, on Saturday night did do another illegal lift but then he’s famous for going against the rules in that way," Craig had told Claudia Winkleman during one of the results shows.
MORE: Kristina Rihanoff says Brendan Cole is to blame for the so-called 'Strictly curse'
© Photo: Getty ImagesBrendan with the Strictly cast, and the Duchess of Cornwall, before he was axed
Brendan was visibly upset when he shared the news of his dismissal on Lorraine earlier in the year. He said: "It's quite hard to talk about. The BBC haven't renewed my contract. We get contracted year upon year. They've made an editorial decision to not have me back on the show. I'm a little bit in shock. I'm quite emotional, a bit raw about it. It's done via a process of a phone call and stuff. I have had 15 incredible series on the show. I'm very proud of the whole show. It's a great team. I'm disappointed. It's very hard to talk about. It's a recent decision."
The New Zealand-born dancer added: "I've always said as long as I've got a passion for it I want to be there. My passion is still very much there. I'll miss being part of the team. I'll miss being a Strictly dancer. It's kind of weird to imagine yourself not having that as your… I do a lot of other things of course, but the main thing I've been known for is to be a dancer on Strictly. Very odd to even say this out loud. It feels quite raw. I don't want to be sad about it but at the same time I'll miss my gang. The pros on the show at the moment are a phenomenal bunch."
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