BBC Strictly Come Dancing pro calls for shake-up as he says 'it's unfair'

Former Strictly Come Dancing professional Brendan Cole has called for a huge shake-up as he said "it's unfair".

The beloved BBC competition made its return to screens over the weekend, with fifteen fresh celebrities stepping onto the dance floor for the first time.

This year's line-up features I'm a Celebrity champion Vicky Pattison, ex-rugby player Chris Robshaw, Lorraine presenter Ross King and Neighbours legend Stefan Dennis.

• Dani Dyer's BBC Strictly Come Dancing replacement set to be Waterloo Road star
• Strictly's Thomas Skinner causing huge BBC headache 'There's nothing they can do'

Unfortunately, Love Island's Dani Dyer was compelled to withdraw from the series on Tuesday (September 23) after fracturing her ankle during training.

Before the pairs take to the floor for their inaugural solo performances this weekend, a former professional has revealed what they'd alter about the programme, reports Wales Online.

Speaking to Sky Vegas, Brendan Cole outlined that the show requires a scoring transformation to make it fairer on the celebrities with limited dance experience.

Brendan famously featured on Strictly as a professional dancer from 2004 to 2017, where he was paired with the likes of Natasha Kaplinsky, Sophie Ellis Bextor, Lisa Snowdon and Kelly Brook.

Regarding a scoring modification, the star commented: "The thing is, if you're a great dancer, you're always going to be at the top of the leaderboard. For the first five or six weeks, you're safe regardless of audience votes, simply because of your ability to dance. That's why the leaderboard can feel unfair.

"I'd love to see some kind of system that levels it out. Say one contestant starts at level one and another starts at level eight - build that into the scoring.

"Maybe take the judges' mark and multiply it by a performer's rating, to give an overall score. Something like that would make it a fairer playing field, because right now, someone with dance experience is always going to have an advantage.

"That's also why the show works, though - it isn't just about dancing. It's about personality."

Brendan also disclosed that he'd prefer to be matched with an experienced professional if he was to join Strictly.

"I wouldn't want a brand-new pro - I'd want someone who knows what they're doing," he explained.

This year, two fresh professionals have joined the line-up. American-born Alexis Warr is most famous for triumphing on US dance competition So You Think You Can Dance in 2022, and has also featured as a guest professional dancer on Dancing With The Stars.

Meanwhile, Australian-born Julian Caillon has featured as a professional dancer on three seasons of Australia's Dancing With The Stars, and toured internationally with acclaimed dance production Burn The Floor.

For their debut series on Strictly, Alexis has been paired up with YouTuber George Clarke, whilst Julian has teamed up with EastEnders star Balvinder Sopal.

Brendan finished by saying: "What I don't get is why [the producers] don't find people from right here in the UK. There are plenty of phenomenal dancers living here that they don't seem to approach. I'll never understand that. Then again, I can't talk - I'm a foreigner myself!"

Strictly Come Dancing is available to stream on BBC iPlayer