FORMER Strictly Come Dancing judge Arlene Phillips has revealed the secret to the perfect Christmas

She may not be on a judge on Strictly Come Dancing anymore but that hasn't stopped Arlene Philiips from showing off her fancy footwork.

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by Jo Abeyie |
Published on

Arlene, 70, who will celebrate Christmas with her two daughters and extended family in Hampstead, north London, says she saves time by buying the youngsters the same gift.

She said: “I have made my Christmas present list for great nieces and nephews. I have got all my extended family, either male or female in all sizes, from the babies to the 10-year-olds the same thing - onesies covered in reindeers. I chose them because it was easy and I could do it in one fell swoop.

I just hope they all fit. The ones for the boys are good, even the though ten-year-olds will think 'This is great' sitting there on Christmas morning."

"I'm not a onesie lover, I'm more of a tracksuit kind of person. The majority of my life is spent in trainers, track suit pants because you need layering to dance, then need to take layers off as you warm the body up.”

But while her family might be left disappointed by their Christmas gifts, Arlene - who made her name as one of the original judges’ on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing before being controversially replaced by Alesha Dixon in 2009, admits she is looking forward to adding to her collection of designer handbags on December 25.

“I'm ashamed to say I'm partial to a handbag at Christmas.” she said. “I think to myself 'Do I really need another handbag?' No. Do I want one. 'Yes'.

"There's something so wonderful about unwrapping a handbag. It's almost become traditional. It has been a fairly recent thing but I probably have about six really nice handbags now.”

Arlene Phillips is hoping her partner will spoil her and buy her an expensive handbag for Christmas

Arlene, who is fronting Save the Children's Christmas Jumper Day campaign, which will see her sport festive knitwear as she performs a step-by-step dance routine to Kelly Clarkson's new track 'Underneath The Tree', went on to reveal how she hoards left-over wrapping paper.

The star, who founded dance troupe Hot Gossip in 1974, added: “When it comes to opening presents I stand by with a black sack picking up the paper that cannot be recycled and picking out and flattening out any wrapping paper that can be used again.

“My daughters love wrapping and doing something different every christmas, but I am like, 'No! That can be used again. How much did that cost? There's no need to throw that away.'"They say to me: 'But mum, there's celotape on there.'

“I'm like 'Don't worry, we can cut it off.' To me waste in anathema. It is just wrong.”

Help Arlene Phillips and Save the Children make history by donning your Christmas jumper and joining them at Westfield London on Friday 13th December – sign up to take part by emailing worldrecord@savethechildren.org.uk and don’t forget to donate your £1 to Save the Children at www.christmasjumperday.org

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