Industry | 2009.07.17
Strictly ageism? Arlene Phillips axed
• BBC denies revamp was to attract younger viewers
• Harriet Harman speaks out against decision
The stern wagging finger of Arlene Phillips has been a staple of the Saturday night television schedules ever since Strictly Come Dancing waltzed into the nation\'s consciousness. But her exacting judgment of the celebrity contestants will be no more this autumn because the veteran choreographer has been replaced by former contestant Alesha Dixon.
Although Phillips has not spoken publicly, the decision has caused a growing backlash by fans concerned that, as an older woman, she has been a victim of broadcasting\'s ageist tendencies.
The total number of complaints about the axing of Phillips hit nearly 2,000 last night and deputy Labour leader Harriet Harman felt moved to join the debate.
The BBC said it had received 951 complaints about its decision to replace Phillips, 66, with Dixon, 30, while more than 890 people registered their displeasure on Facebook and countless others took to internet forums to protest.
"She knows this is not a \'get Arlene\' decision," a source close to Phillips said.
"Whether it is a decision based on age or how she fits in with the other judges, the BBC has made the decision they feel is best for the programme.
"But there is something seriously wrong with society about dealing with older people in general. They still have a big part to play."
Harriet Harman told a debate in parliament on Thursday: "I think it\'s absolutely shocking that Arlene Phillips is not going to be a judge on Strictly Come Dancing. And as equality minister, I am suspicious that there is age discrimination there."
Jay Hunt, the BBC1 controller, denied ageism was at play, pointing to other older stars on BBC1, such as 60-year-old Anne Robinson, who will shortly return to a primetime slot on Watchdog.
"Is it about ageism? Absolutely not," Hunt said. "It\'s not about bringing in a younger audience. The average age of the BBC1 viewer is 52, so why would I take older women off the channel?
"Strictly is not the Olympics for ballroom dancing, it\'s an entertainment show. Alesha has lived through it but we\'ve still got all the experts who understand the technicalities of the Argentinian tango."
When asked why Phillips was dropped and not one of the male judges - 65-year-old Len Goodman, 53-year-old Bruno Tonioli and Craig Revel Horwood, 44, Hunt replied: "It was not an easy decision to take. When I looked at the four people we had, Bruno is the joker, Craig is the Simon Cowell of the show and Len is the head judge. Arlene has elements of all of them, but when you look at it, Arlene was the obvious one to change."
Phillips has been given a slot on the The One Show, although her role has not yet been confirmed.
The BBC also decided to move aside Radio 1 DJs Jo Whiley, 44, and Edith Bowman, 35. Younger presenters will replace them in the station\'s daytime schedule. Fearne Cotton, 27, and 23-year-old Greg James will take over the key slots, in a move that Radio 1\'s controller Andy Parfitt said was designed to "connect with a new generation of audiences".
Over on ITV, the network confirmed that 28-year-old Holly Willoughby would replace 52-year-old Fern Britton on the This Morning show.
For more information, please visit
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/jul[...]phillips-strictly-come-dancing
