Source: Daily Mail/ Amanda Platell
Picture the scene. BBC bosses haul in the 81-year- old Bruce Forsyth and say: ‘Thanks for making Strictly Come Dancing one of our most popular family entertainment shows ever, Brucie, but we’ve decided you’re passed it.
‘We’re replacing you with Peter Andre. He may not know much about dancing, but he looks good in his skimpies.’
Unthinkable, isn’t it? Yet equally absurd is the decision by the Beeb to sack the show’s vastly experienced, gloriously acerbic judge Arlene Philips, 66.
Her mooted replacement? The pneumatic 30-year-old Alesha Dixon, a pop singer with even fewer facial expressions than Amanda Holden and about half as many brain cells.
Alesha’s only qualification for the job is that she won the last series of Strictly by wearing as few clothes as possible – a ‘talent’ I’m sure will be on prominent display if she joins the judging panel for the forthcoming series.
Contrast little Miss Cleavage with the witty and wise Arlene – a woman passionate about her profession, with a lifetime of choreography to draw on – who remains unfalteringly frank and fair in her verdicts.
She is every bit as vital to the show’s popular appeal as her fellow judge, 65-year- old Len Goodman, who’s another wise old bird. So why isn’t he being asked to step aside? Easy. He’s a man. And men at the Beeb aren’t limited by their age. Women, on the other hand, are cast on the scrap heap as soon as that first grey hair sprouts.
It is outrageous that any organisation, but especially a publicly-funded one like the BBC, is allowed to behave in such a blatantly biased manner.
Part of the success of Strictly – and I am an unashamed devotee – is that it managed to appeal to all classes, sexes and generations.
Chucking out Arlene for a seminaked pop poppet is an insult to every woman watching, young or old – a signal that we’re valued only for the way we look, not for our wisdom, experience and hard work.
Not that we should be surprised. Arlene is merely the latest in a long list of women of a certain age treated appallingly by the BBC – a cravenly PC organisation when it comes to minority rights, but as ageist and sexist as a Premier League football team’s locker room when it comes to its own female presenters.
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Sounds like nonsense. Arlene is a well known choreographer with years of experience – I hardly think that Alesha will be her replacement. Alesha may well have won it 2 years ago (and she was by far the best dancer in the series, although I still think Gabby Logan should’ve stayed in longer), but I hardly think she’s the best person to replace Arlene as she doesn’t have the decades of technical knowledge behind her. If anyone was to replace Arlene I would expect it to be one of the female pros from past series (Maybe Karen Hardy or Camilla Dallerup who are reportedly not competing this year?) not someone who’s been plunged into the world of latin and ballroom for less than 6 months.
Ridiculous – Arlene is a complete part of the strictly judging team with sound knowledge and expertise obviously afetr her years or experience as being a choreographer and people respect her views because of this – you take her serieously and yet she became softer and it was nice to see her flirting with some of the male contestants. An interesting judge to watch and strong member of the team. With Alesha on the other hand, who cares what she thinks??? who cares that she was once a contestant?? SHe hasn’t got the required knowledge or expertise and thus she will not have the respect – I am in my early thirties and even I find her irritatingly loud and get annoyed with her irritating laugh. I used to like Strictly and value the jugdes comments. I won’t anymore. BIG mistake getting rid of Arlene for Alesha. HUGE
That was the last time I watch SCD : What is the use of having a non-pro. Keep Arlene – theres no comparison.
As an older woman still in the workforce (behind the scenes of TV), I couldn’t agree more with the sentiments above. How ridiculous to replace a Professional with a non-professional. Would they replace an Idol judge with a dancing judge? What are they thinking? Is it because the Excecutive Producer is young and vital (too).