She’s making history as I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!’s oldest ever contestant, and nobody is more surprised at Arlene Phillips’ determination to fight on than her daughters Alana and Abi.
The choreographer and former Strictly Come Dancing judge, 78, has faced some of her biggest fears, including snakes and even helicopters.
“She absolutely hates helicopters, and there she was during her entrance, flying in like James Bond! From the get-go, she was like, ‘I’m doing this.’ She started so strong,” 42-year-old Alana tells us about her mum’s on-screen antics.
Her 30-year-old sister, Abi, adds, “I was expecting her to just not try, and not volunteer herself for anything unless she absolutely had to, so when I saw her holding all the snakes, it took me a minute to realise it was Mum’s hand!”
Here, the pair tell us how they helped Arlene prepare for castle life, reveal her emotional confession about being an older mother, and discuss her relationship with fellow campmate Naughty Boy...
Hi, ladies. How are you finding watching your mum in the castle?
Abi: It is completely overwhelming. She’s just surpassing every expectation I had. I’m so overprotective of her and I’m such a worrier, but she is doing incredibly.
How did you help her prepare for life in the castle?
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