Latest news with #ArlenePhillips
The Guardian
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
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.
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
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.
The Guardian
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Relief after 10 dance centres for children across England saved from cuts
Campaigners from the world of dance including Arlene Phillips and Matthew Bourne have been celebrating after a training scheme for children was saved that they say stops the art form becoming the preserve of the elite. The National Centres for Advanced Training in Dance, or National Dance CATs, work with 10- to 18-years-olds to provide them with multiple sessions of training each week, which is combined with their mainstream education. The centres use outreach programmes to attract dancers from outside of traditional backgrounds in a bid to make dance, which has had issues with elitism for decades, more diverse and equitable. High-profile dance figures feared the 10 National Dance CATs could have been scrapped after a £300,000 grant for outreach work was cut in December 2024. But on Tuesday, the Department of Education confirmed to the campaigners, including alumni, students and parents who wrote to more than 100 MPs, that funding for the centres had been secured for another 12 months. Clare Connor, chief executive of The Place and London Contemporary Dance School, said: 'We are pleased to see government have listened … we will build on this good news and work to secure the long-term future of the programme. 'This is an encouraging step in the government's commitment to safeguarding the pathways to careers in dance, and a positive signal of the recognition of dance's contribution to our thriving and growing creative sector.' Brendan Keaney, the artistic director and chief executive of DanceEast in Ipswich, said the decision to scrap the outreach funding was a 'retrograde step' that could have reversed the progress made in the last 20 years to make access to dance easier for people from ethnic minority and working-class backgrounds. 'The outreach funding was our search vehicle. It was the route into the programme – a first step into the pathway towards a career in dance,' he said. 'The National Dance CATs are sort of like little beacons across the country, where you can get high-quality specialist dance training without having to go off to a residential school. You can go to a regular school, but also get the kind of intensive training that is absolutely essential if you're going to compete as professional dancer.' Dame Arlene Phillips, said: 'Every child should have the right to pursue the arts and dance and the opportunity to reach their potential, regardless of their background or where they live.' Sir Matthew Bourne called the National Dance CATs the 'envy of international dance companies' and said without them we could enter 'a world with no more Billy – or Betty – Elliots.' The centres were introduced by the last Labour government in 2004 in an attempt to make dance more equitable. Manchester, Salford, Leeds, Newcastle upon Tyne, Swindon, Ipswich, London, Bournemouth and Exeter all host the centres that have produced dancers who have gone on to work with Wayne McGregor, Akram Khan Dance Company, BalletBoyz, Northern Ballet and Matthew Bourne's New Adventures. Earlier this year the Guardian reported that artists, directors and actors had raised the alarm about what they described as a rigged system preventing working-class talent thriving in their industries. There had been speculation before the spending review that more funding could be cut at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and even some suggestions DCMS itself could have been abolished – although this was dismissed as 'madness' by culture minister Chris Bryant. The Department for Education has been contacted for comment.
Wales Online
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Arlene Phillips shares reaction to Strictly fans who mistake her for much younger judge
Arlene Phillips shares reaction to Strictly fans who mistake her for much younger judge Dame Arlene Phillips says fans are always mixing her up with her friend on Strictly Come Dancing, who is 18 years her junior, years on from her controversial axe from the BBC show Arlene Phillip said she's often having to clarify who she is to fans (Image: undefined via Getty Images ) Dame Arlene Phillips is arguably the first choreographer to become a household name in Britain. Her dance ensemble, Hot Gossip, set the 1980s alight and sparked a lingerie-as-outerwear fashion trend, echoed by stars such as Sabrina Carpenter today. While those days may be behind her, Dame Arlene still remains as one of the dance industry's most well-known faces. In a recent chat, the former Strictly Come Dancing judge said fans often mistake her for the programme's current head judge, Shirley Ballas, 64. She shared: "People come running up shouting, 'Shirley! Shirley!' and I have to say, 'No, I'm the other one!'". Despite the mix-up, at 82, Arlene may find solace in being compared to someone nearly two decades her junior. Fans sometimes mistake Arlien for her pal Shirley Ballas [L] (Image: undefined via Getty Images ) Arlene endured a highly publicised departure from the Strictly Come Dancing jury in her sixties, which ignited heated debates over sexism and ageism within the media. The contentious casting change led over 2,000 viewers to lodge complaints with the BBC, and even drew political ire as Deputy Labour Leader Harriet Harman lambasted the BBC's choice as "absolutely shocking." Article continues below Throughout the uproar, Arlene chose to concentrate on her own pursuits: "I wrapped myself in my world and got on with life," she told The i newspaper. Arlene made a name for herself with dance troupe Hot Gossip (Image: undefined via Getty Images ) Many still approach her to opine that she shouldn't have been dismissed from the series after its 2008 season. Reflecting on her reaction to being replaced by Alesha Dixon, Arlene expressed initial anger but pointed out her swift rebound. "I gave myself 48 hours to kick, scream, cry and sob, and eat scones with cream and jam, then I made myself wake up and get on with it," she added. "I loved being on Strictly. It's very dear to my heart that I was there right from the start." Arlene continued, highlighting her resilience: "I'm a grown up so when life comes along and it doesn't go the way you want, you just get on with it." Bruno Tonioli, Arlene Phillips, Len Goodman and Craig Revel Horwood on Strictly (Image: BBC ) Meanwhile, a previous female colleague at the BBC conveyed to The Mirror their concerns about ageism, stating: "There seems to be a system that gives women no chance on air unless they are below a certain age." Article continues below They further lamented: "Arlene may have a job on The One Show, but she is being pushed out of Strictly even though she was an excellent judge with great knowledge on dancing. There is no really good reason for it." At the time, the BBC denied that ageism played any role in Arlene being replaced. In defence of the decision to bring in former Strictly champion Alesha as Arlene's replacement, BBC One controller Jay Hunt asserted: "Yes, a lot of people were upset about Arlene but the flip side is, in Alesha, we have a young, black, woman presenter, at the heart of the Saturday night BBC One schedule."
Wales Online
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Dame Arlene Phillips gets mistaken for Shirley Ballas
Dame Arlene Phillips gets mistaken for Shirley Ballas The 82-year-old star was a member of the judging panel on Strictly Come Dancing between 2004 and 2008 Arlene Phillips (Image: Getty Images ) Dame Arlene Phillips says people regularly confuse her with Shirley Ballas. The 82-year-old star was a member of the judging panel on Strictly Come Dancing between 2004 and 2008 but revealed that she often gets mistaken for the current head judge on the BBC's Saturday night staple in public. Speaking to the i newspaper, Arlene said: "People come running up to me shouting, 'Shirley! Shirley!' and I have to say, 'No, I'm the other one!'" Phillips was controversially replaced on the Strictly judging panel by Alesha Dixon in 2009 – with the move sparking ageism allegations and drawing over 2,000 complaints from the public – but she largely ignored the furore. She explained: "I guess I... I didn't notice it that much at the time. I wrapped myself in my world and got on with life." Arlene added: "(People approach me) all the time to say, 'You should never have gone!'" Article continues below The star revealed that she continues to watch Strictly Come Dancing in "bits and pieces" as she remains good friends with her former judging colleague Craig Revel Horwood and choreographer Jason Gilkison. Arlene said: "(I watch Strictly) in bits and pieces on catch-up. It's rare I'd sit still on a Saturday night for a couple of hours but I'm also close to Jason Gilkison and I love watching the big dance number he's created." The choreographer, who was the oldest-ever contestant on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! when she took part in the 2021 series of the ITV reality show at the age of 78, is working on a gender-flipped take on William Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream and has no plans to retire any time soon. She said: "Why would I, when there are so many interesting opportunities out there? New ideas keep you young." Meanwhile, Arlene previously hit out at the trend for politicians appearing on Strictly Come Dancing and I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! as she thinks it's wrong for them to "make fools of themselves" and play "silly little games" in front of the viewing public. She told the Daily Mirror newspaper's The Diary column last year: "I'm not big on politicians, even ex-politicians, going into the jungle or dancing on Strictly. Article continues below "I actually don't like them making fools of themselves. "We try to teach our children and grandchildren to respect people who are governing and running the country, not going on shows, doing silly little games."
