Brendan Cole Urges Strictly Judges To Be Nastier

Brendan Cole’s Call for Tougher Judging in 2026 --- The other night I found myself binge‑watching a rerun of Strictly Come Dancing* and half‑expected the judges to hand out a perfect ten. Instead, the contestants got a mix of polite applause and a few “improvements needed” comments. It got me thinking: why do we keep sugar‑coating feedback on a show that’s supposed to push boundaries? Enter Brendan Cole, the former professional dancer turned choreographer, who recently urged the Strictly* panel to dial up the nastiness a notch.

His blunt stance has sparked a heated debate across social media, with fans and dancers weighing in on whether tougher judging is the secret sauce for raising the show’s standards. The Opening Hook What if a little more honesty on reality TV could actually make the performances better? That’s the question Brendan Cole is forcing us to confront. He didn’t mince words when he told a podcast that the judges are “too nice” and that the dancers need harsher critique to grow.

His comments hit a nerve because they challenge the polite veneer that many viewers have come to expect from a family‑friendly BBC series. But is there any truth behind his call for nastier judges? Let’s break down what he’s really saying, why it matters, and what it could look like. What Is Brendan Cole Urging Judges to Do Brendan Cole’s message is straightforward: he wants the Strictly* judging panel to be more direct and critical during their feedback.

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In his own words, he said the current approach “soft‑pedals every mistake” and that dancers “need to feel the pressure to improve. ” He argues that a sharper, more unforgiving stance will raise the overall quality of the choreography and keep the competition exciting. The “Nastier” Philosophy When Cole talks about nastiness, he isn’t advocating for cruelty for its own sake. He frames it as a form of constructive rigor—the kind that pushes artists to exceed their comfort zones.

Think of it as the difference between saying “nice try” and “that’s not good enough. ” The goal is to make the feedback stick, not to wound egos. What “Nastier” Looks Like - Direct scoring: Judges would assign lower marks for obvious errors without trying to cushion the blow.

• Unfiltered comments: Instead of “you have potential,” they’d say “your technique needs work right now.”
• Immediate correction: If a dancer missteps, the judge would point