Matthew Morrison has showed support for fellow The Greatest Dancer mentor, Cheryl, after the singer faced criticism for her lack of dance experience.
The former Glee star, who previously worked with Cheryl when she made a cameo in 2012's What to Expect When You're Expecting, has defended his colleague following comments made by Dancing On Ice's Jason Gardiner.
In a recent interview with The Mirror, Gardiner said the line-up of the new BBC show was "questionable" while asking what Cheryl's dance background was.
"The judging line up on that is questionable as well...what’s her dance background? Where is her dance background?
"She went to Royal Ballet School that you pay for, an extortionate amount to go to because mum and dad just want to drop you off somewhere for the holidays," he added.
Morrison, who is also joined by trained dancer Oti Mabuse on the panel, has now told The Mirror that he thinks the skater’s comments were "awful".
"I couldn’t imagine being in her shoes and having all that crap people talk. This stuff rolls off her back. She doesn’t pay any attention to it."
He added: "It’s really been great to connect as new parents."
Cheryl also opened up about the criticism she has received over her mentoring role on the dance show, telling The Sun: "They’ve had really long careers in dance and in performing arts."
"Mentoring other people one-on-one like I did on X Factor might help me with the mentality of how things go. But in terms of knowledge and stuff, they’re more than qualified."
Strictly Come Dancing professional Oti Mabuse recently said she thinks Cheryl should take part in the series to give viewers the opportunity to see "another side" of her.
