Brendan Cole (born 23 April 1976) is a New Zealand ballroom dancer, specialising in Latin American dancing. He is most famous for appearing as a professional dancer on the BBC One show, Strictly Come Dancing from 2004 to 2017. From 2005 to 2009, he was a judge on the New Zealand version of the show, Dancing with the Stars.
Early life and career Cole was born in 1976, in Christchurch, New Zealand. He learned to dance at the age of six, along his brother and sister. As a child, he won the Juvenile, Junior and Youth Champion of New Zealand. He moved to the United Kingdom when he was eighteen, where he studied the pasodoble, ballroom and ballet at Donaheys, Clayton, Manchester. Before becoming a professional dancer Cole was a builder and roof layer, having left school at 17.
He danced with Camilla Dallerup, a fellow contestant on the BBC's earlier long-running show Come Dancing, as amateurs from 1996 to 1999, and professional from 2002 to 2004. Despite Dallerup being Danish-born, they competed in Latin for New Zealand, for seven years. In 2002, they won the Professional Latin New Zealand National Championships in Auckland. In 2003, they won the Professional Latin Universal Open in Frimley Green, England. and the BATD English Championships in Watford. The same year they won the New Zealand Closed National Championships in Wellington, and won the Taiwan International in Taipei.
In the winter of 2004, Cole had his first acting experience in a feature film: Everything to Dance for alongside Sasha Jackson, Travis Oliver and Sally Reeve.
In 2009, Cole appeared on the New Zealand travel show Intrepid Journeys, however, during a hunting lesson filmed in Vanuatu, he was shown killing and eating a chicken, prompting international news coverage.
In October 2019, he competed in The X Factor: Celebrity alongside Jeremy Edwards.
Personal life In 2010, Cole married Zoe Hobbs, a British model, who gave birth to their first child, daughter Aurelia, on Christmas Day 2012. In March 2018, Zoe gave birth to their son Danté. The family live in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire (2015).
Televised competitions
In summer 2006, he joined ITV's Love Island and became the runner-up when the show ended on 28 August 2006. Also in that year, he appeared as a guest judge on the fourth episode of Britain's Next Top Model, where he worked with the remaining 10 contestants to teach ballroom dancing prior to judging.
In January 2007, Cole appeared on the BBC's duet show Just the Two of Us as a celebrity, with Beverley Knight as his professional partner. They came second.
Cole represented the United Kingdom at the first Eurovision Dance Contest in September 2007. His dance partner was Camilla Dallerup. The couple were highly praised by British judges yet only managed to finish fifteenth out of the sixteen entrants.
In 2010, he was a celebrity guest team captain on What Do Kids Know? along with Rufus Hound, Joe Swash and Sara Cox on Watch.
In 2019, he participated in Pilgrimage: Road to Rome, as self-described atheist.
In 2022, he appeared as a contestant on the fourteenth series of Dancing on Ice and was partnered with Vanessa Bauer. Cole reached the final and placed second.
Dancing with the Stars (NZ) Cole has judged New Zealand's version of Strictly Come Dancing, Dancing with the Stars, 2005–2009. In the years when Craig Revel Horwood was one of the other judges the two men's opinions and scores were frequently markedly different.
Strictly Come Dancing Highest and lowest scoring performances per dance Dance Partner Highest Partner Lowest American Smooth Sophie Ellis-Bextor 36 Kirsty Gallacher 23 Argentine Tango Lisa Snowdon 35 Sophie Ellis-Bextor 32 Cha-Cha-Cha 40 Charlotte Hawkins 12 Charleston Sophie Ellis-Bextor 36 Kirsty Gallacher 17 Foxtrot Lisa Snowdon 40 Fiona PhillipsJo Wood 20 Jive Kelly Brook 36 Fiona Phillips 16 Paso Doble Natasha KaplinskySophie Ellis-Bextor 35 Jo Wood 20 Quickstep Lisa Snowdon 40 AnastaciaVictoria Pendleton 30 Rumba Natasha Kaplinsky 36 Fiona Phillips 13 Salsa Sunetra Sarker 27 Kirsty Gallacher 20 Samba Natasha Kaplinsky 37 Jo Wood 14 Showdance Natasha KaplinskySophie Ellis-Bextor 35 - - Tango Kelly BrookLisa Snowdon 35 Charlotte Hawkins 17 Viennese Waltz Sophie Ellis-Bextor 39 Jo Wood 23 Waltz Lisa Snowdon Fiona Phillips 11
Series Celebrity partner Place AverageScore1Natasha Kaplinsky1st33.02Sarah Manners6th26.83Fiona Phillips9th15.04Claire King6th24.95Kelly Brook33.06Lisa Snowdon3rd34.87Jo Wood11th18.88Michelle Williams9th26.49Lulu10th24.510Victoria Pendleton8th24.111Sophie Ellis-Bextor4th33.312Sunetra Sarker7th28.413Kirsty Gallacher11th21.7 14 Anastacia10th26.5 15 Charlotte Hawkins13th17.5
Cole appeared in the first 15 series BBC One's Strictly Come Dancing, until announcing in January 2018 that his contract had not been renewed.
In the 2004 debut series of Strictly Come Dancing, Cole's celebrity partner was BBC newsreader and presenter Natasha Kaplinsky. They went on to win the show.
In the second series, he was partnered with Casualty actress Sarah Manners. However, they became the fifth couple to leave the competition. During the 2004 Christmas Special Cole again partnered Kaplinsky and they came in second place, dancing a Foxtrot.
In Series 3 Cole was then paired with GMTV presenter and newsreader Fiona Phillips. They were eliminated during the fourth week, coming ninth. Cole then appeared in the 2005 Christmas Special with Rachel Hunter, dancing a Rumba.
He returned to compete on the fourth series, where he partnered with actress Claire King. They were the ninth couple to be eliminated.
In the fifth series, Cole partnered Kelly Brook. They withdrew in week 9 due to the death of Brook's father.
For the sixth series, Cole's dance partner was presenter Lisa Snowdon. They reached the finals but were eliminated in third place. Cole and Snowdon danced again in the 2008 Christmas special, performing a quickstep.
In Series 7 Cole's partner was businesswoman and media personality Jo Wood. They were eliminated in week 6.
In the eighth series, Cole's partner was American singer Michelle Williams; they were eliminated in the seventh week of competition.
For the ninth series, Cole was paired with singer Lulu. They were eliminated on the sixth week. Cole also stepped in to partner Holly Valance and Anita Dobson during weeks 7 and 9 respectively due to their original partners being injured.
For the tenth series, Cole was partnered with Olympic track cyclist, Victoria Pendleton. They were eliminated in the eighth week of competition.
In series 11, Cole partnered singer-songwriter Sophie Ellis-Bextor, reaching the final and being eliminated in fourth place.
For the twelfth series, his dance partner was Casualty actress Sunetra Sarker. They were the ninth couple to be eliminated.
Cole competed with television presenter Kirsty Gallacher in the show's thirteenth series and was eliminated in week 6. Following his elimination with Gallacher, Cole entered the Children in Need special which he won with actress Laura Main. Cole also took part in the 2015 Christmas Special, where he and series 11 winner Abbey Clancy danced a waltz.
For the show's fourteenth series, Cole was partnered with American singer Anastacia. They were placed in the bottom two in week 2, but an injury sustained by Anastacia meant they were unable to take part in the dance-off and the decision was referred to the public vote. Anastacia and Cole polled more votes than Melvin Odoom and Janette Manrara, and were allowed to stay in the competition. They were eventually eliminated in week 6.
In 2017 Cole returned for the fifteenth series, paired with Good Morning Britain presenter Charlotte Hawkins. They were eliminated in week 4. He took part in that year's Christmas Special, partnering Katie Derham: the couple won the event. Strictly Come Dancing performances Series 1 – with celebrity dance partner Natasha Kaplinsky Series average: 33.0
Week # Dance / Song Judges' scores Total ResultHorwoodPhilipsGoodmanTonioli1Cha-Cha-Cha / "Chain of Fools"578727No elimination2Quickstep / "The Lady Is a Tramp"7888Safe3Jive / "Jump, Jive an' Wail"775726Bottom two4Foxtrot / "The Girl from Ipanema"8999Safe5Samba / "Love Is in the Air"91099Safe6Tango / "Libertango"Rumba / "Endless Love"8979898931Safe7Waltz / "With You I'm Born Again"Paso Doble / "O Fortuna"98999999Safe8Quickstep / "The Lady Is a Tramp"Samba / "Love Is in the Air"Showdance / "(I've Had) The Time of My Life"978979999989Series winners
Series 2 – with celebrity dance partner Sarah Manners Series average: 26.8 Week # Dance / Song Judges' scores Total ResultHorwoodPhilipsGoodmanTonioli1Waltz / "I Wonder Why"677828Safe2Rumba / "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing"566623Safe3Tango / "Hernando's Hideaway"788831Safe4Paso Doble / "Bring Me to Life"876829Bottom two 5Samba / "Kiss Kiss"5666Eliminated
Series 3 – with celebrity dance partner Fiona Phillips Series average: 15.0 Week # Dance / Song Judges' scores Total ResultHorwoodPhilipsGoodmanTonioli1Waltz / "Sam"2243Safe2Rumba / "Almost Here"1264Safe3Jive / "Hit the Road Jack"2455Safe4Foxtrot / "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"356620Eliminated
Series 4 with celebrity dance partner Claire King Series average: 24.9
Week # Dance / Song Judges' scores Total ResultHorwoodPhilipsGoodmanTonioli2Rumba / "Show Me Heaven"744621Safe3Jive / "Nutbush City Limits"466622Safe4Foxtrot / "Sweet Caroline"746724Safe5Salsa / "Señorita"4566Safe6American Smooth / "Blue Moon"879832Safe7Tango / "Ole Guapa"886729Safe8Samba / "I Love to Love"5587Eliminated
Series 5 – with celebrity dance partner Kelly Brook Series average: 33.0
Week # Dance / Song Judges' scores Total ResultHorwoodPhilipsGoodmanTonioli2Rumba / "She's Like the Wind"8988Safe3Tango / "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)"998935Safe4American Smooth / "(Love Is) The Tender Trap"8881034Safe5Paso Doble / "You Give Love a Bad Name"777728Safe6Viennese Waltz / "Delilah"9999Safe7Jive / "Johnny B. Goode"999936Safe8Samba / "Stayin' Alive"777829Bottom two91––––––Withdrew1 Due to her father's death from cancer, Brook officially withdrew from the competition, leaving the couple in sixth place.
Series 6 – with celebrity dance partner Lisa Snowdon Series average: 34.8
Week # Dance / Song Judges' scores Total ResultHorwoodPhilipsGoodmanTonioli2Salsa / "Rhythm Is Gonna Get You"556622Safe4Rumba / "Suddenly"888832Safe5American Smooth / "It Happened in Monterey"8999Safe6Paso Doble / "Eye of the Tiger"777728Safe7Tango / "La Cumparsita"899935Safe8Viennese Waltz / "Bed of Roses"9999Safe9Samba / "Rock the Boat"679830Bottom two10Quickstep / "Yes"899935Bottom two11Foxtrot / "Walkin' My Baby Back Home"Cha-Cha-Cha / "Tears Dry on Their Own"9910910101010Safe12Waltz / "He Was Beautiful"Jive / "Crocodile Rock"98108108109Bottom two13Argentine Tango / "Infiltrado"Quickstep / "Dancing in the Dark"810810101091035Safe14Foxtrot / "Walkin' My Baby Back Home"Cha-Cha-Cha / "Tears Dry on Their Own"1010101010101010Third place
Series 7 – with celebrity dance partner: Jo Wood Series average: 18.8
Week # Dance / Song Judges' scores Total ResultHorwoodGoodmanDixonTonioli2Tango / "Let's Dance"3555SafeRumba / "Fallen"3555Safe3Paso Doble / "Because the Night"366520Safe4Foxtrot / "Crazy"4665Safe5Viennese Waltz / "Trouble"576523Safe6Samba / "Superstition"2534Eliminated
Series 8 – with celebrity dance partner Michelle Williams Series average: 26.3
Week # Dance / Song Judges' scores Total ResultHorwoodGoodmanDixonTonioli1Cha-Cha-Cha / "Stone Cold Sober"567624No elimination2Foxtrot / "It Had to Be You"677626Safe3Rumba / "Wicked Game"467724Bottom two41Tango / "Killer"677727Bottom two5Jive / "The Time Warp"768829Safe6Waltz / "Right Here Waiting"688830Bottom two7Paso Doble / "American Woman"567624Eliminated1 Professional dancer Ian Waite stood in Cole's position this week, whilst he was away attending his father's funeral.
Series 9 – with celebrity dance partner Lulu Series average: 24.8