He may be famous for his on-screen spats with fellow Dancing with the Stars judges and harsh criticism of the contestants, but Brendan Cole has revealed he does have a softer side.

The 33-year-old professional dancer - as renowned for his suave moves as his love-rat reputation - has unveiled another dimension of his no-nonsense personality. During a group training session for UK show Strictly Come Dancing, the pressure overcame his dance partner Jo Wood, who fled the rehearsal in a flood of tears.

And the first person to console her was the ballroom bad boy. The UK-based Kiwi was there to comfort the visibly distressed 54-year-old, who recently split from Rolling Stones hubby Ronnie Wood.

‘There's no denying that Jo's been having a hard time,' a source says. ‘Strictly is an incredibly demanding show and she's been feeling the heat. She had a bit of a breakdown when it all became too much. The first show is [this week] and there's enormous pressure on the celebs.'

A friend indeed

Brendan says, ‘I've experienced a lot in relationships and can look at things objectively. Basically, men and women are so different, you need to look at both sides of the story - and that's what I'm good at.'

He adds, ‘I want to lose my player reputation. It's been around long enough.'

The chance to portray his compassionate side is one of the reasons Brendan agreed to spend two weeks roughing it in Vanuatu for an episode of TV One's Intrepid Journeys. He hopes the show, which screens next week, will challenge the New Zealand public's perception of him.

‘I just want people to see the real me,' he says. ‘I want them to see that I'm not just some sissy dancer - that I'm actually someone who's worked very hard for everything I've achieved, and [to see] the strong will that it's taken for me to get to where I
am today. Television can be a very superficial world, and misconceptions of people [become] the reality.'

Although it's known that perfectionist Brendan expects a lot from his dance partners, insiders say he's been a pillar of strength for Jo, whose divorce settlement with Ronnie was only recently finalised.

‘Brendan was genuinely worried when Jo ran out. They've been getting on extremely well,' a source says.

Brendan, who teamed up with fellow Kiwi Rachel Hunter for a special episode of the show in 2005, caused controversy that same year when he told dance partner Fiona Phillips she must be ‘a crap shag' when she struggled to perfect her paso doble technique.

Two years later, TV star Kelly Brook snapped and stormed out of a rehearsal when Brendan became impatient with her, and during the last series he and George Clooney's ex Lisa Snowdon had a much-publicised row. But since his engagement to 26-year-old model Zoe Hobbs in November, the former lothario appears to have settled down.

The self-proclaimed ‘metrosexual' says his toughest challenge in Vanuatu was a three-day 50km hike over mountainous terrain, and admits he struggled without electricity and running water, not to mention the lack of food.

‘It was a very intense experience and one that pushed me to my limits. I hated it at the time, but looking back it was quite an achievement.'