Strictly's Brendan Cole on Lulu: She's not a nice person

Since starting out in the 1960s, Lulu has proven to be an enduring presence in the showbiz world. She won Eurovision for the UK in 1969, collaborated with Take That in 1993 and competed on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing in 2011. But it’s impossible to enjoy such a long-lasting career without ruffling some feathers along the way. And judging from his appearance on Irish TV this weekend, it’s safe to say that professional dancer Brendan Cole is not a fan of the “Boom Bang-A-Bang” singer.

Lulu on Strictly Come Dancing

Cole was partnered with the petite entertainer during her stint on series nine of the British edition of Dancing With The Stars. Ahead of the new season launch in September, Brendan was a guest on RTÉ’s Saturday Night With Miriam. Throughout the interview, he happily spoke of the good experiences he had dancing with models Lisa Snowden and Kelly Brooke, and singer Sophie-Ellis Bextor. And when the host Miriam O’Callaghan asked him to name his least favourite partner, he answered with little hesitation — Lulu!

Eh, Lulu. I made no bones about it. We didn’t gel, we didn’t get on. I didn’t think she was a particularly nice person. I don’t think she thought I was a particularly nice person. So it’s just — [intake of breath from audience] — call it like you see it, you lot. Call it like you see it. I think it’s important to gel and get stuck in and apply yourself to the show. It wasn’t for her and, therefore, it didn’t work for us. But hey, like I said, not everyone’s going to like everybody.

This isn’t the first time he’s expressed his dislike for the only Scottish Eurovision winner. In February, Brendan also told the Loose Women panellists that she was his least favourite partner, although on that occasion her niceness wasn’t called into question. However, as Brendan alluded to in last night’s interview, the dislike is mutual. Lulu blamed Cole for her Strictly elimination, stating that she’d only come to tolerate him when they were knocked out. Ouch!

Lulu at Eurovision 1969 with “Boom Bang-A-Bang”

Lulu isn’t the only vintage Eurovision star with an alleged contrarian streak. Fellow UK star Sandie Shaw regularly sounds off on her love-hate relationship with the contest, while Lys Assia’s acerbic tongue is legendary.