Arlene Phillips: ‘My biggest disappointment? Being let go from Strictly'
Born in Lancashire, Arlene Phillips, 82, created the dance group Hot Gossip in the 1970s. She went on to become a world-renowned choreographer, and was a judge on Strictly Come Dancing from 2004-8. In 2021, she was made a dame for her services to dance and charity and in 2024 received an Olivier award for her work on Guys and Dolls. Her current shows include Starlight Express and A Midsummer Night's Dream in London. She is an ambassador for the Alzheimer's Society and is supporting its Forget Me Not appeal. She lives with her partner in London and has two daughters.
What is your most treasured possession?
An old biscuit tin, which was my mum's jewellery box – she passed away when I was a teenager.
Describe yourself in three words
Loving, creative, demanding.
What has been your biggest disappointment?
Being let go from Strictly.
Would you choose fame or anonymity?
Fame, because I had a taste of it.
Who is your celebrity crush?
It's always been, since I first met him, David Tennant.
What is your guiltiest pleasure?
Sneaking cheese from the fridge.
Aside from a property, what's the most expensive thing you've bought?
A Biba dress when I really couldn't afford it. It was every scrap of my money and I've never parted with it.
What is your most unappealing habit?
Never sitting still at a meal: if anybody drops a crumb or spills a bit of sauce I go and get the kitchen roll and wipe it up.
What is the worst thing anyone has said to you?
In school, I was 11, and we had to paint a picture of family life. My painting was held up to the class and I was told it looked like a spider with ink on its feet had walked across the page. It was done so viciously – humiliating.
What is the worst job you've done?
In a Dagenham factory at 6am, picking soldiers' greatcoats from wars around the world to sell at the market in Chelsea. I smelled like mothballs, and no one would come near me.
Which book are you ashamed not to have read?
The Bible.
What is your greatest fear?
Dying.
What does love feel like?
Like you've got hot-water bottles all over you.
Sign up to Inside Saturday
The only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine. Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns, delivered to your inbox every weekend.
after newsletter promotion
What has been your closest brush with the law?
I was travelling late at night from Strictly to a country cottage. I thought someone was following me, and the faster I drove, the more this follower was shining lights on me. Then I realised it was a police car! They laughed. It didn't occur to me that I had been speeding in the first place.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
My daughters and granddaughters.
What keeps you awake at night?
One after the other, thoughts come banging in – and it's no sleep for you tonight, dearie.
What would your superpower be?
Good health for all.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
I'm just coming.
When did you last cry, and why?
I play Classic FM in the car – emotional music brings me to tears thinking about people I've loved and lost.
What is the most important lesson life has taught you?
Life is never fair.
How would you like to be remembered?
Kind, thoughtful and gave damn good advice.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
19 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Doechii at Glastonbury review – an education in rap from the greatest teacher in the game
When Doechii takes the stage at West Holts on Saturday night, she is introduced to us as Doechii the don, the dean, the supreme. Before the hour is out, no one in the audience will be left in doubt as to the Grammy winner's mastery of her craft, or how much work she has put in to achieve it. But at the same time as flaunting her natural ability, Doechii is also eager to show her working and the paths she used – and her debut UK festival appearance is all the more mesmerising for it. The 26-year-old performer's schoolgirlish styling – giant lockers, rows of desks, Doechii's long braids and exceedingly brief kilt – is immediately obvious as a feint: she may be a relative newcomer to the scene, but she is no rookie. The videos playing either side of the stage bring the set's concept into focus: Doechii (real name Jaylah Ji'mya Hickmon) is leading us, step by step, through the steps necessary to become a hip-hop master – from how to distinguish between 'good bars and GREAT bars', to understanding 'the aspect of flow' and the importance of genre. The overarching suggestion is that Doechii is the total package, and she makes it hard to argue with: she is pure power, head-to-toe sinew, as tightly coiled as a snake and just as hard to tear your eyes off. Doechii spits, she lunges, she sprints the length of the stage and seems to hardly pause for breath throughout the entire show. Should you catch yourself wondering where this force of nature sprung from, she's eager to tell you, peppering her set between snippets of Wu-Tang Clan, Nas, Missy Elliott and even Daft Punk. It not only adds richness to the show but also places Doechii within a musical lineage, identifying her as an artist who swotted up on the greats, then found a spin uniquely her own. After Bullfrog, the screens switch from black-and-white to vivid colour, and Doechii launches into Boiled Peanuts, defined by its irresistible, cackling refrain – the crowing 'ha ha ha' of a victor who knows herself to be head and shoulders above the competition. That triumphant glee extends into Nissan Altima: Doechii is held aloft by her posse of backing dancers, swinging her braids like the imperious head cheerleader. The show's pace is so relentless, the choreography so precise and the Doechii's flow so airtight that all the crowd can do is hold on and hope for dear life to be carried along. With her freestyle over America Has a Problem, from Beyoncé's Renaissance, Doechii challenges anyone who dares fancy themselves her competition to step up: 'I see a lotta bitches, I don't see a lotta stars / I hear a lot of rappers, I don't hear a lot of bars.' The follow-up nod, in that song, to the Barbz – Nicki Minaj's famously fanatical fanbase – makes Doechii's most obvious comparison explicit, but not only does she match Nicki's impeccable flow, she also bests her stage presence. Nicki's never been known as much of a performer, whereas Doechii runs the length of the stage in heels and throws her body around like it's another special effect at her disposal. Through Alter Ego, she's flirtatious, casting coy glances over her shoulder, then antagonistic, spitting fire from a low squat position. Doechii's association with alligators, appearing on the cover of her album Alligator Bites Never Heal, is apt: they share the same implacable ferocity, bared teeth and glint to the eye. A dance break involving umbrellas adds to the spectacle, but slightly obscures the school of hip-hop through-line. The show restores equilibrium with Persuasive, Doechii's track with SZA – obviously performed tonight without her, but with such force that you don't feel the absence. Doechii's back and forth with her DJ/hype woman Miss Milan adds to the party atmosphere; by the time she launches into Nosebleeds from atop of a giant pair of speakers with her dance troupe way below, the crowd is hanging on her every word. From that apparent peak, the highs only continue with an X-rated performance of Crazy and a rendition of her hit Anxiety that blasts the sample, Gotye's Somebody That I Used to Know, with heavy distortion. For all her immense technical ability and precision, there's actually something quite metal about Doechii in her commitment to spectacle. On top of all that, she has a strong, clear voice, capable of acrobatics but not inclined to launch into them just for show. On GTFO, she spars with her dancers, then the camera; for Catfish, she shows off her vocal timbre, descending into a guttural, bristling growl. It is brilliant, but unrelenting; a reprieve from all that intensity arrives with Denial is a River – Doechii's Salt-N-Pepa-esque, gossipy hit about a cheating partner and the narrator's own self-deception. It's presented within the educational framework of tonight's set as an exemplar of 'the art of storytelling', and more than delivers on that promise: Doechii is relaxed, self-deprecating and conversational with Miss Milan. You could happily watch her riff in this register for hours. As it is, Doechii concludes her 'school of hip-hop' with a rousing rendition of Boom Bap, then skips off stage. It might seem anticlimactic – West Holts seems to be left slightly reverberating by her sudden absence – but it's in fact one last lesson: a true master knows to always leave the crowd wanting more.
The Guardian
44 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Tell us: what have you been reading this month?
As part of The Guardian's 'what we're reading' series, we would like to hear about the books you've particularly enjoyed this month. Have you read a book in recent weeks – fiction or non-fiction – that you'd recommend? Tell us all about it below. You can get in touch by filling in the form below. Your responses are secure as the form is encrypted and only the Guardian has access to your contributions. One of our journalists will be in contact before we publish, so please do leave contact details. If you're having trouble using the form, click here. Read terms of service here and privacy policy here.
The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
What to watch, read and listen to this summer
'What makes a really great summer anthem is a breeziness,' says the Guardian music critic Ben Beaumont-Thomas, 'like it cools you down slightly on a hot summer's day.' So what are the summer hits of 2025? And not just in music, but film and books too? Ben, the Guardian's film editor, Catherine Shoard, and the deputy head of books, David Shariatmadari, talk to Nosheen Iqbal about what you should be listening to, watching and reading this summer. If you've listened to the episode and missed some of their recommendations, here they are in full: Music Films Books
