Strictly Come Dancing star Shaun Wright-Phillips has hit back at Brendan Cole after the show’s former professional dancer accused him of using his famous father to gain votes on the programme.
Ex footballer Wright-Phillips is one of the 13 celebrities still in this year’s competition and in a sweet moment earlier this month, Arsenal legend Ian Wright stopped by to visit his son in the training room.
A VT in the Saturday 10 October episode of Strictly showed Ian getting a sneak peek of Shaun and his partner Alexis Warr’s routine.
But Cole, who served as a Strictly pro from 2004 to 2017, was left unimpressed, claiming the show had “used” Ian and declaring that Wright-Phillips’ “days are numbered” on Strictly.
The 44-year-old has now hit back, saying: “He came to a training session, which me and him spoke about over a lunch weekend, and he wanted to pop in, so I said, ‘Why not?’”
He continued: “I’ve never used Dad for any public vote. He came because he just wanted to see me at work, and I wanted him there because I know the support he gives…
“Dad being there has nothing to do with trying to pull in votes, just for the record.”
He added, in the interview with Oddschecker, that Wright has been unable to make it to a live show because of his own busy schedule.
Multiple Strictly 2026 stars have famous fathers and during the most recent live show (Saturday 17 October), actors Danny Dyer and Ray Winstone were spotted cheering on their daughters, Dani Dyer and Jaime Winstone.
Week four saw the Strictly cast pay homage to their favourite icons and Wright-Phillips delighted the judges with his Couple’s Choice, set to a James Brown medley.
The former Manchester City player scored a total of 28 for his routine – a huge improvement on the 15 he received for his Quickstep the week before, when he narrowly held onto his place in the competition after ending up in the dance-off.
Wright-Phillips isn’t the only Strictly star Cole has taken aim at in recent weeks.
The 50-year-old previously criticised professional dancer Amy Dowden, whose time in the current series was sadly cut short when she and partner Chris Appleton became the first pair to leave the competition.
Cole claimed the Welsh star “has not been up to the challenge” of being a pro in the past few years – seemingly ignoring, or unaware of, the fact Dowden has made a comeback after being forced to miss the 2023 series due to a stage three breast cancer diagnosis.
Dowden, who has been open about her health struggles after undergoing various treatments including mastectomies and chemotherapy, then had to step down midway through the competition in 2024 due to injury.
She returned last year and was paired with controversial casting Tom Skinner, who was voted out first, before being partnered with Appleton for the current series.
Addressing Cole’s comments, she told The Mirror: “I’ll be honest, what did you expect from him? It’s fine – I’ve never been brought up to be personal, and in this day and age especially I think it’s so important to be kind, and to think about the next generation.
“I always try to use my platform in the right way – I work with various charities. But also I want to be the right kind of role model.”
Read MoreEastEnders star Lacey Turner claims Wendy Richard’s ghost slapped her backside on set
Strictly Come Dancing judge to release Christmas single: 'A dream come true'
Strictly judge Craig Revel Horwood to star in new Sister Act musical tour
Amy Dowden directly addresses Brendan Cole’s Strictly criticism
Jessica Lange reveals the American Horror Story role she found least interesting
Alastair Campbell ‘hated’ his Celebrity Gogglebox experience says daughter
