Arlene Phillips says she was called a ‘freak’ for having a child in her 40s

The former Strictly Come Dancing judge says she was called a ‘freak’ when she had her second child at the age of 47.

Arlene Phillips said she was shocked by the verbal attacks she received when she was pregnant with her daughter, Abi, in 1991. “I was told that I was some kind of freak, that I would find it hard to bond with my baby when I could be the grandmother,” she told Good Housekeeping. “I’m so vociferous if anybody says something to me that I find offensive. But I was so vulnerable. I let all these remarks go by with tears in my eyes.” The mum-of-two admitted that she found the school run the hardest. “When she was little, I felt terribly old and self-conscious at the school gates. Now she’s older, I notice it much less. Perhaps that’s because it feels as though there’s less of a gap in age between women as they get older or maybe I’m just more confident these days.” However, 26 years later, Arlene says things are different for older mothers now. “Nowadays, being an older mother is very common. When you let all those things go you see the absolute joy of having a baby when you’re older. You really do feel like you’ve been given a gift.”