Arlene Phillips wants Strictly same-sex pairings to 'happen'

Arlene Phillips believes \'Strictly Come Dancing\' same-sex pairings should "happen".

The 77-year-old choreographer - who previously starred as a judge on the hit show - believes male-male and female-female pairings "shouldn\'t be made a fuss of" on the BBC Latin and ballroom programme.

She said: "I feel absolutely you could have male-male, female-female partners, and it shouldn\'t be made a fuss of.

"They are not making a decision to do a defined male or female role. They are dancing together. And I think we should all, let it happen.

"Dance has to readily move forward and it\'s not an offensive thing."

\'Dancing on Ice\' featured its first same-sex pairing earlier this year, when pop star Ian \'H\' Watkins and Matt Evers performed together on the ITV show.

And \'Strictly\' has recently been tipped to follow suit in the coming months.

What\'s more, Arlene has dropped her investigation into the BBC for axing her from the programme in 2009.

The former ballroom dancer took the decision in light of the coronavirus pandemic, saying her issue "pales into insignificance".

Arlene - who was replaced on the show by Alesha Dixon - told The Sun newspaper: "I just look at what is happening now to so many people and it just pales into insignificance. So many people are losing their jobs, businesses are not restarting.

"Something like this pandemic puts it into perspective, it makes you sit up and really think about what will happen in the world.

"I want to spend my time looking forward and trying to help if I can in any way help people who are affected, truly affected by loss. Whatever that loss may be."