Former Strictly Come Dancing judge Arlene Phillips has revealed the “true colours” of her I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! campmates during her time on the show.
In a heartfelt Instagram post for World Kindness Day, Phillips, 80, looked back on her 2021 stint as the oldest contestant ever to enter the I’m a Celeb jungle.
Reflecting on her experience, she wrote: “Yesterday was #worldkindnessday and with @imacelebrity the hot news this week, it got me thinking about my time on the show as the oldest ever contestant and how kind the guys were so wonderful to me when we were almost instantly thrown into The Clink.
“Even though they had their own battles and we were all suffering the freezing cold, they all looked after me so well, so caring and considerate, I don’t know what I would have done without them and wouldn’t have got through a day let alone the whole time we spent in there.”
Phillips was part of the 2021 series, which was set in Gwrych Castle, North Wales, due to COVID-19 restrictions. At 78 years old, she made history as the show’s oldest participant and found herself in the less-than-glamorous Clink, the show’s designated isolation area for new arrivals.
During her time on I’m a Celebrity, Phillips opened up about her personal life, discussing the challenges she faced as an older mother. She revealed that when she had her daughter Abi at the age of 47, she often had to clarify she was Abi’s mother and not her grandmother, especially on school runs. Phillips was the first contestant to be eliminated from the series.
The beloved choreographer also shared her thoughts on a recent Strictly Come Dancing elimination, revealing her disappointment that X Factor winner Shayne Ward and his partner Nancy Xu were voted off.
“I disagreed with the @bbcstrictly judges last night on which couple stayed. Watching @shaynetward at the start of the competition, I didn’t think he would get this far,” she said.
“From being a clumsy dancer, last night he turned into an actor and a dancer, portraying a beautiful partnership with @nancy_xuxi. The dance felt romantic and true, and I was sorry to see this couple go.”
After his exit, Ward expressed his gratitude, saying, “I just want to say, you guys up there [the other contestants] are a dream. Every single day, coming in here and seeing you guys, you helped me so much. I want to say thank you to the audience as well, for always being amazing for us all. This has been, honestly, one of the best things I’ve ever done.”
