Blog exclusive: a Strictly chat with Arlene Phillips

Yes, it’s true. Judge Arlene kindly granted MSN some of her valuable time to answer the Strictly questions that we all wanted to ask.

 

She was very pleasant to talk to – not all airs, graces and arrogance like some celebs we could mention. She’s also promoting a scheme to encourage children to get dancing which sounds like a great idea.

 

So, here we go. Enjoy!

 

What do you love most about being a Strictly Come Dancing judge?

I think going out there and just being the me that I’ve always been in my professional life. I think people see what it’s like for dancers in the professional world, living a life of criticism or praise. You life is constantly swinging from one to the other like Tarzan on a rope.

 

You don’t hold back if you feel your criticisms are valid. Is that because, as a veteran of the dance world, people have said some rude comments to you in your time?

Yes absolutely. I think if you’re going to be a dancer in the professional world, you have to have a tough exterior, there’s no other way. You live a life of rejection when you’re a dancer and so the highs, which are very few, are joyous. But most of the time it’s criticism or rejection. You’re never good enough. As a dancer you’re never good enough.

 

What has been your best moment on the show since it started?

My favourite moment was probably Julian Clary talking back to Craig. Actually, anybody talking back to Craig!

 

What do you think of Craig’s judging and scores?

I love Craig. I think he’s absolutely fearless, I love that about Craig. He doesn’t care what he says to anyone. It doesn’t even enter his head to worry what they might think or feel.

 

The judges on Strictly have been accused of inconsistency. What’s your response to those suggestions?

I don’t think we’re any more inconsistent than we’ve ever been. If we’re inconsistent, we were always that way – we’re consistent in our inconsistency! We are always different, always looking for different things. I don’t think our judging is any different to what it has been on previous years.

 

It seems that some judges have favourites whom they score more highly. How can we be sure the judges’ scores are fair?

I don’t think we have favourites. I don’t think it’s about having favourites, other than me and Mark! I would say that some performers excite us more than others. I don’t think we have favourites, I really don’t. I don’t think any of the judges could do that.

 

You seem to have the hots for Mark Ramprakash…

I love Mark! A) because Mark is a beginner and B) because he does have an extraordinary ability. For a non-dancer to master what he has mastered and to do it so well is amazing. I love seeing that natural ability in anyone. And particularly when they haven’t come from a background of dance, I find it really, really exciting. I find Mark’s dancing exciting, I don’t think he was great last week and he’ll really have to pull up his socks this week. Everybody has dances they can do and dances that they’re not so good at but I enjoy watching Mark, I think he has a lot of feeling for dance, and I think it’s wonderful that someone with no training can do what he is doing.

 

Does that affect the scores you give him?

Well, the scores that I give him vary week to week depending on what he’s doing. I was not impressed last week and I think I gave him one of his lowest scores ever. Not only that I’ve given him but that any of the judges have given him, because I wasn’t impressed last week and some of the other judges were. As much as I love Mark, I think he’s going to have to pull his socks up. He’s going to have to dazzle me this week.

 

Who’s going to win this series?

You know, I absolutely don’t have a tip to win. My original tips, both of them have gone – Ray and Spoony were in my list of original possible winners. Emma’s always been there, Mark’s always been there. And last week, Matt had overtaken Emma. So it will change all the time.

 

Do you think Emma’s performance has changed because she’s been so busy with other projects? (Children in Need)

Probably yes. It wasn’t her greatest week last week.

 

Who are your top three contestants ever?

Jill Halfpenny is number one. Darren Gough surprised me, and Zoe Ball had incredible ability. Zoe lost out is because she didn’t look the happiest of performers but she did have a fantastic ability.

 

Are you bothered that you’re not part of the US version of the show like Bruno and Len?

No, I am too busy. My career and my life is as a choreographer. I would never want to give that up, that is what I do. I love judging, I love being there on Saturdays and judging, but I could not and would not what to make it my life career, which I would have to do were I doing the American series. I could not imagine either living in America for three months of the year or travelling there and back every time. I just couldn’t.

 

Will you be involved in next year’s show?

If there is a next year, and they ask me, yes.