Dame Arlene Phillips 'couldn't stand” some of her Strictly Come Dancing colleagues

Dame Arlene Phillips “couldn't stand” some of her 'Strictly Come Dancing' co-stars.

The 80-year-old choreographer was a judge on the star-studded BBC One Latin and ballroom competition with the late Len Goodman, Bruno Tonioli, 67, and Craig Revel-Horwood, 58, from its 2004 debut until she was replaced by former winner and pop star Alesha Dixon, 44, in 2008 and admitted that not getting on with everyone was just “life” as the latest series gets underway.

Speaking on ‘BBC Breakfast, she said: "Yeah, you form a bond with some, you actually can’t stand others but you know that’s life but you do form a bond and obviously I miss being a part of that crazy, crazy life. "

The former 'I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here' contestant made the quip while talking about the “beautiful” tribute to Len - who recently passed away aged 78 after being diagnosed with bone cancer - on the show's debut episode, where the only remaining original judge is Craig who now sits with Motsi Mabuse, 42, Shirley Ballas, 63, and Anton Du Beke, 57.

She said: "Oh my gosh, I thought the tribute was beautiful and I'm also so pleased that on ‘Dancing With The Stars’ in America, they’re going to do a massive tribute to him too.

"It was such a loss, and it was so sudden for many of us because only a few people knew, Bruno knew, but few people actually knew. It was a real shock, particularly as Len and I, we were there at the pilot.

"We made the pilot and it was wonderfully, brilliantly chaotic, and Len and I spent many hours trying to form what the show would be and we were the bodies that were lucky enough to do that."