Arlene Phillips says Strictly Come Dancing is 'bad experience for older women'

Former Strictly Come Dancing judge Arlene Phillips has spoken out about the treatment of older women on the hit BBC show, saying it can be a 'bad experience'

Former Strictly Come Dancing judge Arlene Phillips has stoked the fires of ageism discussions surrounding the popular BBC dance extravaganza once more, criticising the treatment and portrayal of older women on the show.

Arlene, 81, has famously criticised how ageing female stars are depicted in showbiz since being replaced on Strictly by younger talent Alesha Dixon back in 2009, an incident that sparked a fiery debate on age discrimination. She's been on the frontline, pushing for fairer treatment and equal appreciation of ladies across all life's stages within the sector ever since.

Diving back into the matter, Arlene recently shared candid sentiments on the ordeal older ladies face when stepping onto the Strictly dance floor. While attending the Women of the Year Awards, she confided to Express Online: "I don't particularly like the way older women are perceived [on the show]," reports the Express.

Overlooking the ballroom glitz, Arlene confessed: "I don't like that there is a certain, there are some people who are phenomenal as they age and it's not that they should have danced before, but the one thing I don't like about Strictly is many of the older women who take part are really serious about it, as they should be, but they also take it to heart and that breaks them as women."

Her poignant words highlighted the heavy toll a fiercely competitive stint on Strictly can take on its more mature female stars. "So if you are totally willing to engage in it in a way that oh I'm doing this for me, I don't care what I do, I don't care what people say, I'm just going to have a go and if I'm s**t, I'm s**t, just come along and laugh at me and not many people can do that. So I think for some it's been a bad experience. And Strictly should never be a bad experience."

Arlene Phillips then highlighted the true spirit of Strictly Come Dancing, insisting it should radiate joy rather than cause anxiety. "Strictly should be about fun, heart, kindness. And it's not in some cases, and it's not that it's Strictly's fault, but it's the way that some people arrive and go, 'What is this? ' We all know what it is, it's been running for 20 years.It's a mindset and I think they talk a lot about mindset now but I think also a lot of people need to be really cool [to go on the show]."

Reflecting on her own experiences, Phillips underscored the importance of mental readiness in any high-stakes situation. She added: "To be really frank, when I was going into the jungle, they spent so long talking to me. It was laid out time and time again, you know what you're going to get and you know if you don't like it, you know what that will result in. Preparation is everything. Whether it's a young person going into theatre for the first time. It doesn't matter. Preparation is vital and I think that's where Strictly needs to work on their celebrities to find a way forward."

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