Arlene Phillips: ‘My biggest disappointment? Being let go from Strictly’

Sat, 28 Jun 2025

The choreographer on a treasured biscuit tin, the Biba dress she splashed out on and a late-night police chase

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.