Best known for her role as one of the judges on the Strictly Come Dancing panel for the first six series, 78-year-old Dame Arlene Phillips is a dancer, choreographer and author, who has worked in television, theatre, and on some of the most iconic music videos of all time including Robbie Williams’s Rock DJ and the Bee Gees’ Woman in You.
She’s been married to Angus Ion since 1985 and has two grown-up children. She shares the highs and lows that have accentuated her 60-year career – and the best songs she’s danced to along the way…
The best thing about being a mum?
It’s the love you share with each child. There is no other love or bond like it.
Your best childhood memory?
My best childhood memory is being taken to see a concert of Russian ballet at the Free Trade Hall in Manchester when I was very young. From that moment I knew I wanted to dance.
The best comfort food?
Without doubt, it’s mashed potatoes made with lots of butter. I can eat buckets of it!
The best Valentine’s Day you’ve ever had?
It was in 1981 when I was a single mum and a group of single friends came over and we threw a huge single friends’ party full of hearts, love and pink champagne and celebrated love of friends.
The best songs to dance to?
Whitney Houston’s I Wanna Dance with Somebody. I’m biased because I choreographed the video, but it says it all: if you want to dance with somebody, you’re going to dance. The rhythms are brilliant, Whitney is amazing, and it just makes me want to move as soon as it comes up. It’s all about going back to the classics. Bring Me Sunshine, which I’ve been dancing to today, is a joy to move to. It’s so positive and happy. Once you lift your body, lift your chest and open your arms wide, you feel yourself lifting and even the air feels like your friend when that one’s playing. There’s nothing that changes the mood like a good song.
The best celebrity you’ve ever met?
Freddie Mercury. I’d always loved his music so when I was asked to choreograph a video with him I was a nervous wreck. He made me laugh straight away, he was so funny. He fussed over me, it was so easy. I went from being a fan to sitting on the sofa next to him chatting away about ideas for his video. Yes, I worshipped and adored him, but it became a very easy relationship. He had a lovely way about him, which made it very easy to ask him to do what I wanted and for him to suggest things to me. Even him flying off a volcano for one of the videos we did, Made in Heaven, was just like, “Come on, Freddie, you can do this” and he did, no fuss, he just got on with it.
The best music video you’veever made?
I’m Still Standing with Elton John. There was a different script and the police in France thought it was a little too dangerous, so I had to make the entire video up on the spot, raking in 40 dancers from all over the south of France. It’s one of my favourite songs, it’s a motto in my life.
The best thing about dancing?
The way it can lift your spirit. The idea of music and movement joining together is a high like no other. This week I’ve been working with 10 beginners. I just put some music on and gradually everybody joined in, walking in time to the music, feeling the music. We walked forwards and backwards and did little movements and at the end of it I asked if they realised they were dancing and they didn’t quite understand, but that’s it: walking to music so quickly turns into dance. Think of John Travolta walking down the street in Saturday Night Fever, then he’s in the disco doing the hustle. There’s a thrill for me seeing the smiles on people’s faces as they suddenly realise they can dance.
