Strictly legend who was 'horrible to everybody' backstage named and shamed by show star

Strictly Come Dancing legend Brendan Cole dished the dirt on his former co-stars during a telling chat on This Morning, revealing that the late great Bruce Forsyth could be "very temperamental" and even "horrible" when things didn't go his way.

During the interview with hosts Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard, Brendan reminisced about his time on the show, which he left in 2018. He shared fond memories of former Strictly host, Sir Bruce Forsyth, saying: "He was incredible off the stage more so then he was on the stage. His wit was so fast and so brilliant."

But it wasn't all smooth sailing behind the scenes, as Brendan admitted: "Bruce was lovely to everybody, unless he was slightly angry and then he was horrible to everybody, he was very temperamental," giving fans a glimpse into the pressures of live TV.

Despite this, Brendan expressed his deep admiration for Brucie's commanding presence: "In production they would always say 'Bruce is on set, calm yourselves down' and I loved that. He commanded that respect and he earned it over so many years. He was amazing."

Brendan didn't stop there; he also had some choice words about the judges, particularly Len Goodman, who he described as the "ultimate judge.", reports the Mirror.

The dancer recalled how Len could be your biggest cheerleader or your harshest critic, saying: "If you take Len for example, he was the ultimate judge. He knew exactly how to pitch it. He was either on your side and rooting for you even if you were rubbish or if you were getting too big for your boots, he would absolutely bring you down to earth."

"That was the beauty of him and he always did it with a smile. Even if he was a bit aggressive on the show, he would come up to you afterwards and give you a handshake."

The Strictly family, including Debbie McGee and the couple Pasha Kovalev and Rachel Riley who found love on the dance floor in 2013, joined him for a nostalgic chat.

Strictly has hit the headlines again this week, with pro dancer Giovanni Pernice thought to have quit the show after rumours of him using a harsh training style when teaching his celebrity partners on the show.

His 2023 partner Amanda Abbington abruptly quit the show last year, with reports later surfacing that she was suffering from PTSD after her time with Giovanni in the training rooms. Ranvir Singh and Laura Whitmore have also hinted at struggling with Gio's technique.

On Sunday, 19 May, Giovanni finally directly addressed the rumours as he issued a lengthy statement vowing to 'clear my name'.

In a message posted on Instagram in the early hours of the morning, Giovanni wrote: "To my dear fans, You will be as surprised as I am that allegations have been made about my dance teaching methods in the media this week.

"Of course, I reject any suggestion of abusive or threatening behaviour, and I look forward to clearing my name.

"Those who have followed my journey on Strictly Come Dancing over the last decade will know that I am passionate and competitive. No-one is more ambitious for my dance partners than me.

"I have always striven to help them be the very best dancers they can be. This has always come from a place of love and wanting to win - for me and my dance partners.

"Thank you all once again for your continued love and support!" He signed off the post: "Giovanni."

Follow OK! on Threads here: https://www.threads.net/@ok_mag