“I think dancing always took me to a different place. It was hard and it was a struggle, but it took me to the kind of place I wanted to live in. It wasn't real life.”

English choreographer and television personality

Dame Arlene Phillips is an English choreographer, theatre director, presenter, former television judge, talent scout, and dancer. She was born in 1943 and is known for her work in stage and television dance, with a career that has ranged from live performance to musical theatre and TV judging. She came to wider public attention as a judge on Strictly Come Dancing from 2004 to 2008 and on So You Think You Can Dance from 2010 to 2011. On stage, she choreographed musicals including Starlight Express, Grease, Saturday Night Fever, and Guys and Dolls, bringing a theatrical style that has made her a familiar figure in British entertainment.