Arlene Phillips Shares Heartbreaking Guilt of Caring for Cancer-Stricken Mother at 15

Arlene Phillips has shared her heartbreaking ‘guilt’ on becoming a carer for her late mother Rita when she was only 15.

The star, 82, is a world-renowned dance choreographer with stints as a judge on Strictly Come Dancing, So You Think You Can Dance, and Over The Rainbow.

For Arlene, dance has not only kept her mentally and physically fit, it has also been a form of escape during some of the most difficult times of her life. 

These include caring for her late parents, Rita and Abraham, who died of leukaemia and Alzheimer’s respectively.

In a new interview, Arlene recalled a moment during her teenage years when her mother asked her to miss her dance class to look after her, a request she ended up turning down.

She told the Mirror: ‘I didn’t want to miss dancing and so I said one of the others had to do it.

‘That guilt, which so many carers feel, has stayed with me to this day.’ 

Just three months after her cancer diagnosis, Rita died aged 43.

Arlene then found herself in the role of a carer once again as an adult when her father Abraham was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. 

After battling with the disease for more than a decade, he eventually died aged 89.

‘I was exhausted and broken by it and, again, there is that guilt carers feel,’ Arlene told the publication.

According to new research by Carers UK, 5.8 million unpaid caregivers are facing a health crisis themselves, with more than half reporting a decline in their physical (52%) or mental health (53%) due to their responsibilities. 

Arlene was one of the original judges on Strictly from 2004 to 2008.

During an appearance on Loose Women on Monday, she gave her verdict on who she thinks should replace Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly on the BBC show.

The chat with Jane Moore, 63, Oti Mabuse, 35, Janet Street-Porter, 78, and Kelle Bryan, 50, soon turned to Strictly.

Last week hosts Tess and Claudia shocked the nation after they dropped the bombshell that they were leaving the show after hosting together for the past 14 years.

Oti asked: ‘Who in your opinion do you think should replace them?’

Arlene said: ‘At first I thought it should be a non dancer, they’ll kind of be unbiased.

‘There are enough dancers there criticising, and then I thought, no. How do you replace people, like Claudia is smart as a whip, funny and on It Takes Two, right at the beginning, it almost felt like we were making it up.

‘Claudia nailed that show for everyone. So that’s hard, but I think somebody like Hannah Waddingham would just fall into that.

‘Smart, off the page, not like your normal human being. Fun, up for a joke.’

She continued: ‘Then I think someone kind of ditzy, and warm, and like the heart of the show.’

Jane joked: ‘Like Janet?’

The panel laughed and Arlene went on to say: ‘This one to my right,’ as she pointed to Oti.

Arlene added: ‘Can I quickly mention, Layton Williams.’

It comes after Tess and Claudia announced their Strictly departure in an emotional video to fans on Thursday last week.

The duo, who have been presenting the BBC One dancing competition together since 2014, took to Instagram to break the news to fans on Thursday.

Claudia, who also hosts BBC series The Traitors and spin-off Celebrity Traitors, and Tess,who first joined the series back in 2004, sat side by side in the clip that confirmed their departure.

Speaking to the camera, Claudia began: ‘There have been some rumblings and we want you to hear this from us.’

Tess chimed in: ‘We have news, after 21 wonderfully joyful years on Strictly, we have decided that the time is right to step aside and pass over the baton.’

‘The very sparkly baton!’ Claudia laughed, before turning to her co-star and pal to add: ‘You’ve been here since the beginning.’

Tess replied, pointing to Claudia: ‘With Bruce, lovely Bruce [Forsyth], and that was over two decades ago but a lot of the time has been with you.

‘It’s been a huge part of our lives since our children were literally babes in arms, and now they’re adults, and I think genuinely we have cherished every second.’

Claudia continued: ‘We have, we’re so lucky to have been part of this amazing show and we just want to thank the Strictly team, because Strictly is the people who make it.’