Red Moon
18-11-2008, 06:54 AM
'Stop slacking, Sergeant': Strictly judge Arlene savages the Dancing PigJust in case John Sergeant had any hope of finally winning over the Strictly Come Dancing judges, Arlene Phillips yesterday decided to wield the sequinned stiletto.
She criticised the former political journalist for lack of effort and added that she would be 'desolate' if he won.
Miss Phillips, 64, gave a round of interviews in which she made her feelings plain about Sergeant, whose popularity with the public has thwarted attempts by her and fellow judges to be rid of him.
The renowned choreographer told BBC Breakfast that the continuing presence of Sergeant, nicknamed the Dancing Pig, was unfair to his fellow contestants. 'He's not making much effort,' she said.
'The dancers are constantly working but John just sits there and reads the paper.
'A lot of people are non-stop practising, (but) to achieve what? Why don't the girls just all throw off their clothes and the boys do a comedy dance? Is that going to help?'
Despite his dismal dancing skills, Sergeant emerged unscathed from the weekend's latest heat of the show, while one of the favourites, Cherie Lunghi, was eliminated.
This was despite the judges yet again giving 64-year-old Sergeant the lowest score on Saturday night.
Moving on to Radio 4's Today programme, Miss Phillips said: 'I would be desolate if he won. The criteria that the four judges were hired on, six series ago, was to find the best possible dancer to become Strictly Come Dancing champion.
'I personally would like to see him off the show because despite getting through a dance, probably for the first time mostly in time to the music, he is not the same standard everyone else has reached.'
Despite Miss Phillips's antipathy to him, Sergeant found a powerful ally yesterday in the form of Business Secretary Lord Mandelson - who gave a none-too- subtle hint that he would be a willing contender for the next series of Strictly.
While being questioned on BBC Breakfast about the Government's efforts to rebuild the economy, the Cabinet Minister broke off to say he was supporting Sergeant's cause on the show. However, he joked that he was a better dancer and offered to demonstrate his skills next time he was on the BBC.
'I was cheering for John Sergeant on Saturday with, I have to say, a degree of envy,' said Lord Mandelson, 55.
Asked if there was a possibility of his appearing on the show, he replied: 'It would be nice to be asked.'
Source: Daily Mail (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1086772/Stop-slacking-Sergeant-Strictly-judge-Arlene-savages-Dancing-Pig.html)
She criticised the former political journalist for lack of effort and added that she would be 'desolate' if he won.
Miss Phillips, 64, gave a round of interviews in which she made her feelings plain about Sergeant, whose popularity with the public has thwarted attempts by her and fellow judges to be rid of him.
The renowned choreographer told BBC Breakfast that the continuing presence of Sergeant, nicknamed the Dancing Pig, was unfair to his fellow contestants. 'He's not making much effort,' she said.
'The dancers are constantly working but John just sits there and reads the paper.
'A lot of people are non-stop practising, (but) to achieve what? Why don't the girls just all throw off their clothes and the boys do a comedy dance? Is that going to help?'
Despite his dismal dancing skills, Sergeant emerged unscathed from the weekend's latest heat of the show, while one of the favourites, Cherie Lunghi, was eliminated.
This was despite the judges yet again giving 64-year-old Sergeant the lowest score on Saturday night.
Moving on to Radio 4's Today programme, Miss Phillips said: 'I would be desolate if he won. The criteria that the four judges were hired on, six series ago, was to find the best possible dancer to become Strictly Come Dancing champion.
'I personally would like to see him off the show because despite getting through a dance, probably for the first time mostly in time to the music, he is not the same standard everyone else has reached.'
Despite Miss Phillips's antipathy to him, Sergeant found a powerful ally yesterday in the form of Business Secretary Lord Mandelson - who gave a none-too- subtle hint that he would be a willing contender for the next series of Strictly.
While being questioned on BBC Breakfast about the Government's efforts to rebuild the economy, the Cabinet Minister broke off to say he was supporting Sergeant's cause on the show. However, he joked that he was a better dancer and offered to demonstrate his skills next time he was on the BBC.
'I was cheering for John Sergeant on Saturday with, I have to say, a degree of envy,' said Lord Mandelson, 55.
Asked if there was a possibility of his appearing on the show, he replied: 'It would be nice to be asked.'
Source: Daily Mail (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1086772/Stop-slacking-Sergeant-Strictly-judge-Arlene-savages-Dancing-Pig.html)