Brendan Cole hasn't heard from Strictly judges

1 February 2018

Brendan Cole hasn't heard from any of the judges since he was sacked from 'Strictly Come Dancing'.

Brendan Cole

The 41-year-old professional dancer was dramatically dropped from the show, which he has been involved with for 14 years, earlier this week and, although his co-stars - past and present - have flocked to their social networking sites to wish him well - he's stunned that the panel, comprised of Craig Revel Horwood, Darcey Bussell, Bruno Tonioli and Shirley Ballas, haven't been in touch.

A source told the MailOnline: "Not one of the judges have tweeted Brendan to say thank you or good luck for the future. He is totally stunned they haven't been in contact after being on the show for so long."

However, their lack of contact may be down the fact they're allegedly to blame for his axing after they reportedly served bosses an ultimatum - either Brendan gets the chop or they all walk out.

A source said recently: "It was the final nail in his coffin.

"That was the moment when they decided they'd had enough. The judges felt he was putting her down publicly and he thought he knew better than the head judge. They thought it was totally disrespectful."

Brendan - who is known to use his acid tongue - got into a war of words with Shirley last year after she accused him of putting rise and fall into his Tango, which he performed with Charlotte Hawkins, but things got a little more heated when he shot down her comment and Bruno accused him of being "disrespectful."

An insider explained: "He sulked rather than apologised after the show.

"Everyone told him 'Don't bite the hand that feeds you'. But his stubbornness got the better of him.

"The judges and show bosses had to put up with a lot over the years, but doing it to Shirley was a step too far. It was after that moment that the judges said: 'Off with his head' They told bosses - it's him or the show. They had simply had enough. And Brendan was the last to know."

It's believed Brendan took a disliking to Shirley, 57, almost immediately because she was made head judge - a role he went for last year - after Len Goodman quit the show after 12 years on the panel.

The source said: "He went for the role of judge but Shirley got it.

"He never gave her a chance. He referred to her as Queen Shirley."

Since it was announced he wouldn't be returning to the ballroom and latin competition this year, fans have started an online petition in a bid to persuade the BBC to overturn their decision and give him his job back.