Strictly star 'kicked, screamed and sobbed' after being axed from BBC show Strictly Come Dancing celebrates it's 20 year anniversary in a grand TV special airing on the BBC tonight - but the show has not been without its scandals in the last two decades.
At the time, it was rumoured that Arlene was axed because BBC thought she ‘too old.’ However, she claimed she still didn't know the reason why when she was dropped and replaced by the Alesha, who had never critiqued a dance show - but was crowned Strictly champion.
However, after the show wrapped in 2008, Arlene found out she'd got the chop and was being replaced by Alesha Dixon, who is 35 years her junior.
Former judge Arlene Phillips admitted she 'kicked, screamed and sobbed' when she found out she was getting the boot from her beloved show.
I wanted to know in detail and I wanted to know the real reason at the point when they decided for me to go, yet they kept me hanging on for so long with the possibility that there would be five judges.".
