WELCOME BACK ARLENE - AND THE NOT SO NASTY MR. LYTHGOE

Just when I feared I was going to suffer from post-Christmas Strictly withdrawal, a new television programme has come along to brighten up winter weekends. So You Think You Can Dance follows real dancers vs. celebrity wannabes, and has a touch of The X-Factor about it, too.

I particularly loved seeing Arlene Phillips, whose insight into dance skill and technique is hard to beat, back on a primetime judging panel, and in such commanding form. She looked amazing, and was full of positive, constructive comments. While she has been called the antidote to the more acerbic Nigel Lythgoe, I don’t find Nigel “nasty”. He is a professional, who like the equally acerbic Craig Revel Horwood takes his job very seriously. 

When I met Craig, who is genuinely a sweetie, he explained that he is not there to be nice and lie to dancers – he believes that his job is to give an accurate comment on their performance in the hope that they will learn something and improve. Having seen an interview with Nigel I think he takes the same view, which I respect as a professional in the dance world myself.

I did think it was a shame Nigel made a dig at Arlene, though. When she enthused over the gorgeous Brazilian professional Hugo Cortez: “Where have you been all my life?” Nigel retorted: “He wasn’t born for most of it, love.” After all the fuss about Arlene being booted off Strictly because of ageism, I’d have thought this was the kind of irrelevant comment the BBC would have been quick to edit out.