Brendan Cole is focusing on the future following his shock exit from Strictly Come Dancing. The 41-year-old is preparing to welcome his second child with wife Zoe Hobs, and on Wednesday took to Instagram to share a sweet photo ahead of the baby's arrival. Brendan uploaded a black-and-white snapshot of a tiny baby socks, embroidered with elephants, writing alongside: "New arrival coming soon. Not long now…" His post was met with messages of congratulations from fans – many of whom also took the opportunity to commiserate with the star over his departure from the BBC show. "Congratulations! Can't believe Strictly not renewing your contract. I am certain they will lose a lot of viewers. I won't be watching," one wrote. A second added: "Exciting times! Look forward to following what you do next after Strictly, supporting you all the way."
Brendan Cole is preparing for the arrival of his second child
Brendan and Zoe announced the news of her pregnancy in September, with the New Zealand-born dancer posting a Boomerang video of his wife showing off a tiny baby bump - which he simply captioned: "Hey all...@thezoecole and I have news..." The model then posted a family photo taken on the beach, telling her followers: "Yes it's true! Came back from Mallorca recently with a little excess baggage!" She added the hashtags, #whathavewedone, #babyonboard, #excitedandscared and #morejunkinthetrunk." The couple, who have been married since 2010, are already parents to five-year-old daughter Aurelia, who was born on Christmas Day in 2012.
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The Strictly star pictured with wife Zoe Hobbs in January
It comes after Brendan's Strictly co-star Anton Du Beke spoke of his shock and upset following Brendan's exit from the show. Appearing on Lorraine this week, Anton said: "It was one of the saddest things I've watched on telly," he said. "I was heartbroken for him, for me a little bit as well. I'm going to miss him enormously. I can't begin to tell you." He added: "There's something about being with Brendan on the show and having been there since the beginning – there's only a few of us left. I've known Brendan for a long time anyway, and we've been friends for many, many years, and being on the show together was lovely for me. You've got a brother-in-arms sort of thing."
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