Strictly’s Brendan... the cheeky chappie
AXED Strictly star Brendan Cole was facing the music last night after being snapped in a clinch with a blonde dancer while his wife was at home with their newborn son.
Brendan 42, was pictured with his hand on the backside of Jenna-Lee James, 41, as they hugged after leaving Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in London’s Soho on Friday.
Jenna-Lee is one of the backing dancers in Brendan’s All Night Long extravaganza, recently touring the country.
Just two days before the picture with Jenna-Lee, Brendan had boasted about the joys of family life on Twitter: “Euphoric, light at the end of the tunnel moment. New baby boy, seven weeks old has just slept until 4.45, woken, cooed a little, no tears during nappy change, fed and back down in just over half an hour. So happy right now.”
His wife Zoe Cole, 37, gave birth to baby Dante in March. At the time she was believed to be at home with their five-year-old daughter Aurelia in Aylesbury, Bucks. And just days earlier the exhausted parent had taken to Twitter to say how she got the baby to nod off with the help of sleep aid Ewan The Dream Sheep – after six hours trying.
Retired
An onlooker who saw Brendan and Jenna-Lee leaving the club said they left together at about 1.30am and were outside chatting for a while, adding: “They were flirting together with Jenna playing with Brendan’s scarf and holding hands.
“They looked like a couple, to be honest and I don’t think his wife would be too happy with his behaviour. They were in the middle of Soho and it was really busy. Brendan was getting recognised by fans and one woman came up to chat to him.
“But he only seemed interested in Jenna. You would think they were together if you based it just on the body language. They were very touchyfeely and intimate, which is quite surprising given that Brendan is married. After a while they walked off together and that was when Brendan seemed to pat her bum.”
Jenna has been touring the UK with his live two-hour show between January and March. New dates for the autumn are expected to be announced.
Lifestyle blogger Zoe is believed to have asked New Zealander Brendan to spend more time in Mallorca, where they own a house, to concentrate on a family life. Just 18 hours after Dante was born the star was pictured partying after an awards ceremony with golfer Carly Booth, 25.
Brendan lost his job on Strictly Come Dancing in January amid claims that he had clashed with new head judge Shirley Ballas.
He had been with the BBC show since 2004 and fans believed that he would take over as head judge after Len Goodman retired in 2016.
Brendan’s representatives did not respond to calls yesterday.