Dame Arlene Phillips, 81, hints at Strictly return after she was axed from judging panel 15 years ago
As someone who has been deeply entrenched in the world of dance for decades, I can’t help but feel a twinge of excitement at the prospect of Dame Arlene Phillips potentially returning to Strictly Come Dancing. Her contributions to the show were instrumental during her time on the judging panel, and it would be a joy to see her back in action.
Arlene Phillips suggests a thrilling comeback to Strictly Come Dancing, more than ten years following her dismissal from the judging team.
The well-known dancer and dance creator, who is now 81, initially served as a judge on Strictly, spending a total of four years in that role. During this time, she sat alongside Craig Revel Horwood, Bruno Tonioli, and Len Goodman on the panel.
2009 saw the announcement that Arlene would no longer serve as a judge, with Alesha Dixon stepping into her role instead. This decision stirred controversy, as some felt it was ageist towards women, an allegation the BBC firmly denied.
15 years since my last appearance, I find myself with an exciting opportunity to make a comeback, as I shared during the 2024 Pride of Britain Awards on Monday evening when speaking with The Sun.
She said: ‘I’ve been filming something today, which will be coming out soon and is hilarious.
‘It’s something to do with dancing.’
When asked about a potential return to Strictly on the red carpet, Arlene hinted: ‘Perhaps we’ll have a little conversation…’
In May, Arlene claimed the BBC ‘never apologised’ or gave a reason for why she was axed.
On Elizabeth Day’s How To Fail podcast, Arlene mentioned that there was no explanation provided as to why she wasn’t allowed to come back.
As for me, I wasn’t the one who chose to depart; instead, I was regrettably not welcomed back. There’s a significant distinction in that case, as my departure wouldn’t have been voluntary – it would have been an expression of my will, not a compulsion.
To this very day, I still believe it would have been better if we had talked about it earlier. If only they had informed me directly that my position was no longer needed, and explained the reasons behind it, I could have prepared myself accordingly.
Arlene stated: ‘Indeed, no one has extended an apology. Following that, we attended meetings roughly two to three weeks later, but the discussions were only centered around what alternatives could be provided, with no explanation given for the situation.’
To be honest, it seems they didn’t see me as up to their standards. That’s the reality of the situation. What stings is that I felt I had the skills and judgement to excel in this role.
As a devoted admirer, let me share my personal experience: My wardrobe primarily consisted of black jackets, a fact that was mostly unavoidable. Indeed, I owned two high-end, designer jackets, while the remainder were carefully selected from Next and Marks & Spencer.
In essence, you find yourself occupying a specific position, and let me clarify that being a judge on Strictly Come Dancing involves acting out roles. Indeed, it’s a form of role-playing for everyone involved – something that has always been the case.
In March, Arlene criticized the BBC after learning that she was no longer a judge when a reporter informed her about it over the phone.
In an interview with The Guardian, Arlene shared that what made her angriest was how the BBC went about terminating her position, detailing that she found out about it only after a radio program reached out to her for comments.
She expressed her displeasure by saying, “When I performed on that show, I was already mature. Yet, they didn’t reach out to me immediately upon having the idea. This not only dented my self-confidence but also left me feeling lost and in need of self-discovery.
‘I needed all the mental preparation that I could muster to go: “Hang on a minute – you had a big career before this and you’ve got work lined up”.’
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2024-10-23 11:07