Arlene Phillips jokes she hired dancers with ‘special abilities’ for ‘famous stars’

Dame Arlene Phillips once quipped that she lined up dancers for “very famous stars” to “party” with after music video shoots she choreographed.

Ms Phillips, who collected her damehood in 2022 for services to dance and charity, is an industry legend whose clients have included Freddie Mercury, Sir Elton John, and Whitney Houston. Notable music video credits include “Baby You’re Dynamite” by Cliff Richard, “Wild Boys” by Duran Duran, and “Rock DJ” by Robbie Williams. The 83-year-old has also worked on numerous Hollywood films, including Legend, directed by Ridley Scott, and The Wind in the Willows, directed by Terry Jones.

The remarks were made in a 2008 episode of BBC Two’s comedy quiz show Never Mind the Buzzcocks, which has resurfaced online in the wake of Russell Brand’s conviction for one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault last week, sparking a reckoning in the entertainment industry. The clip also features a roster of famous men, including Robert Webb and Simon Amstell.

There have been no allegations of wrongdoing against anyone featured in the show. But even though the comments were quips on a comedy show, they point to an era when predatory behaviour was normalised to the point where it was often acceptable to laugh about it rather than interrogate it.

“You look like you could, not that you would be involved yourself – although there’s nothing wrong with it, we shouldn’t judge, but you look like you run a good whore house,” says Amstell, host of the comedy pop quiz show. Ms Phillips is seen laughing before responding: “When I was doing videos with very famous stars, they would ask me to line up dancers with very special abilities.”

The live audience is heard laughing along with fellow panellists, Dermot O’Leary, Keith Murray from the American rock band We Are Scientists, and Dappy from N-Dubz. Ms Phillips continues: “Very often, a star will say, ‘you know, can you make sure we’ve got girls or boys who’d like to party afterwards.’”

O’Leary replies by mockingly holding his hand to his ear in the style of a phone, saying, “When you’re dancing tonight, do you mind having sex afterwards?” Everyone laughs in response, with Ms Phillips replying: “I never ask; I just know who… which boys and which girls like a good time.”

When approached by The Independent, a spokesperson for Ms Phillips, who was the only woman featured in the episode, declined to comment. There have been no allegations of wrongdoing against anyone mentioned in this piece, apart from Brand.