Former Strictly Come Dancing judge Arlene Phillips set social media alight this Tuesday by sharing a series of nostalgic photographs, including one particularly striking image of herself wearing a black bikini. The 82-year-old dance legend took to Instagram to express her frustration with Britain's current wet weather, contrasting it with sunnier memories from holidays past.
Sunshine Dreams and Weather Woes
Arlene Phillips looked absolutely sensational in the scorching throwback photograph, which showed her sitting beside a swimming pool wearing a strapless black bikini that perfectly showcased her incredibly svelte figure. The veteran choreographer captioned the nostalgic picture with a heartfelt lament about the current British weather, writing: 'Torrential downpours go away, I'm dreaming of sunshine.'
She encouraged her followers to swipe through her post to see additional photographs that captured her feelings about the dismal weather, describing herself as 'unimpressed' with the current conditions. The dance icon explained she had discovered these old photos featuring fellow former Strictly judge Bruno Tonioli and 2023 finalist Layton Williams, noting they followed a particular theme of visible discontent.
Strictly Stars React to Throwback Post
Both Bruno Tonioli and Layton Williams quickly responded to Arlene's Instagram post in the comments section. Bruno shared a simple heart emoji while fondly remembering 'back in December'. Layton offered a more detailed response, humorously noting the visible distance between them in the photograph and attributing it to COVID-19 restrictions.
'Haha love it! Also I swear this was still Covid hence why we weren't hugging xxx' wrote Williams, with Phillips confirming: 'Very very very Covid no hugs!' The West End star didn't miss the opportunity to compliment Arlene's striking bikini photograph either, gushing: 'Ps - you look gorge x'.
Weighing In on Strictly's Future
This social media activity comes shortly after Arlene shared her professional opinion about who should replace Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly as Strictly Come Dancing presenters. The hosting duo recently shocked the nation by announcing they would be leaving the popular BBC dance competition after fourteen years together, immediately sparking widespread speculation about their successors.
During an appearance on Loose Women last month, Arlene found herself being questioned by fellow Strictly alum Oti Mabuse about potential replacements. The original Strictly judge, who served on the panel from the show's 2004 inception until 2008, initially suggested the role should go to a non-dancer to maintain objectivity.
However, she later reconsidered, praising Claudia Winkleman's unique qualities and suggesting Hannah Waddingham would be perfectly suited to the role, describing her as 'smart, off the page, not like your normal human being' and 'fun, up for a joke'.
Phillips also endorsed Oti Mabuse herself for the position, describing her as 'someone kind of ditzy, and warm, and like the heart of the show' before pointing directly at her fellow panellist. She didn't forget to shout out Layton Williams either, quickly adding: 'Can I quickly mention - Layton Williams!' as another potential candidate.
Defending Amber Davies Against Backlash
Arlene also used her platform to address the recent criticism directed at Strictly contestant Amber Davies regarding her previous dance experience. The Love Island winner, who stepped in for an injured Dani Dyer at the last minute, has faced considerable backlash despite scoring highly throughout the series, primarily due to her background as a West End musical theatre star.
Speaking about the ongoing debate surrounding Strictly contestants with dance training, Arlene came strongly to Amber's defence. 'Amber can dance no doubt about it, Amber has trained as a dancer, there's no doubt about it' she stated unequivocally.
Phillips acknowledged that trained dancers certainly have an advantage in knowing basic movement and rhythm, but emphatically stated that this doesn't guarantee victory. She pointed to previous winners like Bill Bailey and Stacey Dooley as examples of non-dancers who triumphed on the show.
Arlene concluded with a powerful message to critics: 'Let's just enjoy every performance and stop thinking about, "They shouldn't win!", "Amber shouldn't win!" Amber is a lovely human being, she's hard worker, she's a terrific performer.'
