Strictly Come Dancing legend Brendan Cole ‘has failed to repay a £100,000 debt’ after his dance firm went bust

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Brendan Cole still owes nearly £100,000 to people he owes money to, after his company went out of business.

Brendan Cole started his company, Brendan Cole Ltd., in 2009, even while still performing on Strictly Come Dancing.

However, he agreed to close the business – which was described as offering entertainment and leisure activities – in November 2021, just before he began competing on the ITV show Dancing On Ice.

Records at Companies House show the dance company is now closed, and its financial reports for the period ending May 2021 – six months before its final closure – were filed late.

Cole’s business is reportedly in debt, owing £28,000 in taxes and £50,000 from a loan received through the government’s Bounce Back Loan scheme with HSBC. Experts handling the situation don’t expect those owed money to be fully repaid.

‘After taking into account asset realisations, together with fees and expenses, I think that it is unlikely that I will be able to make a distribution to any class of creditor,’ they told The Sun. 

In 2022, the company reported owing a total of £37,000. This included £22,000 in corporation tax, £6,000 for employee taxes and National Insurance, £4,600 in other debts, and a £400 bill for accounting services.

The dancer, who was born in New Zealand, has agreed to pay £1,000 each month to cover a £45,000 loan he received from the company, which is currently facing financial difficulties.

Cole held a 70% stake in the company he started during his peak popularity on Strictly Come Dancing, with his wife, Zoe, owning the other 30%.

The dancer had previously shared his thoughts on the recent issues with the BBC show, seven years after leaving his role as a professional ballroom dancer on it.

In a 2024 interview, Cole talked about his difficult experience on the show and remembered working with some celebrities he didn’t get along with.

He described his experience with *Strictly* as a real mixed bag – the best job imaginable, but also incredibly challenging. He explained that when you connect well with a celebrity partner, it’s an amazing experience.

The dancer, who had partnered with celebrities like Fiona Phillips, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, and Natasha Kaplinsky over the years, explained that it can be very challenging to train for 12 hours a day with someone you don’t connect with.

It’s part of the professional’s role to manage celebrities, even when things get difficult. I’ve definitely worked with some challenging personalities – people I didn’t get along with, and who didn’t seem to like me either – but you just have to handle it and keep going.

I’ve also been incredibly lucky to work with some amazing people I really enjoyed collaborating with. You learn from both the positive and negative experiences, and ideally, you come through it all okay.

In a 2018 interview with the Daily Mail, Cole shared that he was deeply saddened to leave the show he’d been with since its beginning in 2004.

He shared that the past week has been a real emotional rollercoaster, with him experiencing everything from sadness to excitement. He really enjoyed his time as a professional dancer on Strictly Come Dancing, especially being involved from the very start.

It’s really disheartening to think that life will continue without me. It feels like being left out – knowing everyone else is enjoying themselves and wishing I could share in it.

Daily Mail has contacted a representative for further comment.  

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2025-09-24 19:04