Strictly Come Dancing 2009: BBC Plays Down Arlene Complaints
Yesterday sources reported that the BBC were considering reinstating Strictly judge Arlene Phillips, after they received more than a thousand complaints about her sacking.
However the BBC spoke out today denying these claims and playing the whole saga down, saying that the complaints are slwoign down each day.
A BBC spokeswoman told the Daily Express: “Yes, there have been complaints, but this large number has accumulated slowly since the official announcement about Arlene was made. And complaints have recently started to slow down, in fact.”
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My sister and I are disgusted that Arlene Phillips has been replaced by Alesha Dixon on Strictly come dancing. Len Goodman has not and is in fact older than Arlene, she has always been very good value whereas during the last couple of series Len has become increasingly bad tempered and prima donnaish.
There are many pretty girls indeed beautiful ones but not many Arlene Phillips. She has experience and personality and makes excellent viewing. She can take a joke against herself and reacts well with the rest of the team.
She merits her place on the show. Why replace her?
I was disgusted to hear that Arlene Phillips would not be with Strictly this year. As this programme is a dance competition Arlene can offer structured comments and advice drawn from years of dance experience. With three months dance training i fail to see how Alesha Dixon can sit in judgment of others, with this fact being obvious i can only conclude that Alesha has been employed as the pretty face. As a great fan of SCD i expected better.
My comments for which I WOULD LIKE A RESPONSE how can Alesha Dixon who is no doubt a lovely girl with a nice although not excellent voice judge very experienced dancers having only been on strictly and had training from the professionals be expected to judge them????? whereas Arlene Phillips not only has experience, compassion which comes with maturity and experience her professional background proves. Alesha has NO professional training, can come across a bit scatty and be expected to judge people like Matthew Cutler who both trained her, how in the world will he feel if she says :MATTHEW: THAT WAS NOT A BRILLIANT PERFORMANCE. If this is an age thing, surely Len Goodman should also come into that category. I very much look forward to your response. I think the BBC is a now very unprofessional organisation.
I’m in favour of Alesha becoming a judge, and people should give her a chance!!
Alesha is a great performer and dancer, and she knows what the celebs will be going through. I’m sure Alesha will be judging the performances, and Len, Bruno and Craig will judge the technicalities of the dance. I am very much looking forward to the new series now that Alesha is part of the team!
My whole family of three generations spanning early 20s to 80s is disappointed and disgusted that Arlene Phillips is being axed from Strictly Come Dancing. We have loved the show and even gone to see the live shows in Glasgow. We are all now going to stop watching the show. Arlene has always been a fabulous judge. She is very young for her years and has always made very relevant and useful points for today’s dancers. We think Arlene is probably the best judge of all. She has a lot of experience with dancers and in choreography. She is a perfectionist who gives helpful tips for greater quality and she knows what audiences like to see. The winners have always been people that Arlene has spotted as dancers with potential. We just cannot envisage the show without her.
The news came at holiday time in Scotland when many people did not hear the news straightaway. Also, although many many people have been dismayed and disappointed they have not got in touch with the BBC as they think it wouldn’t make any difference as their voice would not be heard.
We wonder why changes have to be made with a programme that was perfect. At the end of each series we all worry that Bruce Forsyth won’t be back the following year – but nobody ever suspected that Arlene wouldn’t be back. Why change something that works so well. Change for the sake of change is plain stupid. We will now all be watching the other channel as you’ve let us down BBC.
Finally, we have nothing against Alesha – she is a fabulous singer and personality. I personally own some of her CDs. But she is not an experienced dancer and judge and it is a total slap in the face to someone of Arlene’s expertise to be replaced by someone who is first and foremost a singer. Ageism is as ugly a prejudice as racial or religious prejudice and the BBC should not be ignorant of it.
BBC you are totally ruining a brilliant format. I do not want to watch dancers I dont care about. How can Alesha comment on her ex ‘tutor’s’ performance? Dont you get it, the panel and the dancers are to some extent more important that the dancers!! Leave things alone. If you really want to make the show appeal to a younger audience (my kids are hooked on it) then replace Bruce with a younger presenter like Anton or even Vernon!
I’ve been lucky enough to meet Alesha on a number of occasions, and I can assure you she
Is not scatty at all!! Alesha is a very sensible and intelligent young lady, and she does not deserve the backlash she is getting!!!!!!!!
Alesha Dixon was very good as a contestant on Strictly Come Dancing but unfortunately she out of her depth as a judge,she seems unable to give any help on technique and the spark seems to have gone out of rest of the judges because they don’t have Arlene Pillips to disagree with. I and my family have watched every series of Strictly but up to now we feel the show is missing a most vital personality that is Arlene Phillips!.
Alesha is a lovely lass but completely clueless as a judge, bring back Arlene urgently before Alesha becomes a complete laughing stock.