Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas has insisted there was no ‘friction’ between herself and Brendan Cole on the show.
The 57-year-old was put on the spot during an appearance on Thursday’s Good Morning Britain, where she was quizzed about her alleged feud with Brendan and getting Charlotte Hawkins’ name wrong.
During the last series of the BBC show, Shirley and Brendan, 42, clashed on air over his tango with Good Morning Britain’s Charlotte.
Read more: Strictly’s Shirley Ballas sets record straight on Brendan Cole ‘feud’
Hosts Susanna Reid and Ben Shepherd quizzed Shirley on her criticism towards their co-star, Charlotte.
Ben asked Shirley: “Did you think the relationship you had with Brendan and the friction that there was there caused a problem?”
Shirley replied: “First of all, there was no friction between Brendan and me. I have known him for a very, very long time.”
“How he conducts himself is his business,” she added. “But for me, there was no friction. I was there to do a job and I did it.”
Defending her criticism against Charlotte, Shirley said she was giving Charlotte”constructive criticism” to help her “get better”.
Susanna also brought up the fact that Shirley had once called Charlotte ‘Mollie’, obviously thinking of fellow contestant Mollie King.
Susanna said: “I’m not sure you and Charlotte were best friends. Unfortunately, you called her ‘Mollie’ and criticised [her] technique.”
Shirley replied: “Actually, it was constructive criticism in order for her to get better the following week. She’s a lovely lady and is extremely talented.
“I tried to express that perhaps the choreography was a little difficult at the beginning, but unfortunately [Brendan] took it the wrong way.”
Speaking about accidentally calling Charlotte the wrong name, the star added: “Everybody makes mistakes. Have you ever made a mistake on your show?
“But I apologise for that.”
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During the series last year, Brendan and Shirley clashed over the amount of “rise and fall” in his tango with Charlotte.
At the time, Brendan said Shirley should “keep her opinions to herself.”
He later told the Daily Mail: “I don’t know if that was handled the right way on air. If you disagree with somebody, which I did that particular day about the way she felt we danced the tango, you have the right to say what I did.”
Brendan was axed from the show earlier this year after 15 series.
Speaking on Lorraine at the time, Brendan admitted: “I’m a little bit in shock. I’m quite emotional, a bit raw about it.”
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