Arlene Phillips has spent 40 years on her feet. Now the dancing queen is taking to the road for a tell-all tour. Jane McGowan falls into step
People, says Arlene Phillips CBE, are always asking about her life. In the end she had a choice: write a book or go and talk about it. And talking, she decided, “seemed much more preferable”.
There’s a lot to discuss. For Arlene has been a leading light in the world of dance for the past40 years. From humble beginnings as a struggling hoofer to being ‘fired’ from Strictly, Arlene promises that her 12-date The Glitz, The Glamour, The Gossip tour, which arrives in Camberley this month, will leave no tale untold.
She was born in Prestwich, near Manchester in 1943. One of three children, Arlene discovered her talent early on, and her parents scrimped and saved to pay for her ballet classes. Then, in 1958, her mother, who had been suffering from leukaemia, died. The young Miss Phillips headed south to pursue her dream.
“It was a struggle,” she admits. “Even in my late 20s, when I was a dance teacher in London, things were still hard and I never, ever dreamed that I would have the success I’ve had.”
After landing a job choreographing a commercial for fledgling director Ridley Scott, Arlene decided to launch her own dance group – Hot Gossip. The troupe acquired a name for itself on the London club scene, but its raunchy routines and ‘scantily clad’ dancers ensured that television was out of the question.
“We had been told and told, ‘You are too sexy for TV,’” explains Arlene. “And then out of the blue we were offered a spot on the Kenny Everett Video Show. It caused such unbelievable controversy, basically because the so-called protector of public morals, Mary Whitehouse, complained about us. The story was picked up by all the newspapers and after three years we became an ‘overnight success’.”
Arlene followed that with a more family-friendly role as choreographer on Hollywood musical Annie, before landing jobs with such showbiz luminaries as Andrew Lloyd Webber, Clint Eastwood, Ben Elton, Freddie Mercury, Whitney Houston, even the Monty Python team … the list is endless.
And then came Strictly: the BBC Saturday night show that would transform the profile of dance and go on to become the broadcaster’s biggest money-making export. At the outset, Arlene was probably the only famous face among the judges – Len Goodman, Craig Revel Horwood and Bruno Tonioli were the others – but that didn’t save her from being unceremoniously dumped by the Beeb in 2009 for former show winner, Alesha Dixon. She has remained gracious about the event, which was met with public outcry and allegations of ageism, but promises not to shy away from the subject on the tour.
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“Oh, I will talk about it, but I am proud of the show. It has made such a difference to dance. I remember being contacted by a dance shoe manufacturer who had been about to close down. He wanted to thank us because, once Strictly started, business boomed.”
So, after the awards, the plaudits and the stellar career, of what, I wonder, is Arlene most proud? The answer is not a ‘what’ – it’s a ‘whom’.
“My daughters, of course!” she says, before exclaiming so loudly that I have to adjust the phone. “I just love my girls!”
Arlene, as she freely acknowledges, was late to motherhood, having her first daughter, Alana, at the age of 36. Her second, Abi, followed when she was 47.
“I was considered a geriatric mum at 36,”she laughs. “So when I had my next one I was treated as positively ancient. Abi was certainly a surprise, but hopefully I have made the most of both of them.”
Now 74, Arlene still does a ballet class most days and has lost none of her passion for performance. She remains an industry powerhouse, as evidenced by the recent charity show Gala for Grenfell, which raised funds for the victims of the devastating Grenfell Tower fire. She was “deeply and profoundly affected” by the disaster and knew immediately that she must do something. Within days she had rounded up a host of top-flight artists, from Akram Khan and Adam Garcia to Strictly stars, for a dance spectacular.
“I was so pleased that everyone offered their support,” she reflects.
And now, as she hits the road, is she planning to take in other shows along the way? You bet.
“I love going to see musical theatre and I still really love a good disco,” she enthuses. “As long as there’s dance, I’m there.”
- Arlene: The Glitz, The Glamour, The Gossip is at Camberley Theatre on October 12. For tickets visit: camberleytheatre.biz
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