A teenage dancer from Perth with a rare cancer has been called brave and fearless by I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here star and former Strictly Come Dancing judge Dame Arlene Phillips.
At 78-years-old, Arlene is the oldest contestant to take part in the show.
But she became the first contestant to be booted out on Sunday night, following a public vote.
Dancing her way out of the Castle with her head held high, @arlenephillips wanted to prove that she’s fearless and she did just that! 💪 #ImACeleb pic.twitter.com/5YfEqiWLlU
— I'm A Celebrity… (@imacelebrity) December 5, 2021
When speaking to the show’s hosts Ant and Dec in her exit interview, Arlene, who has choreographed some of the West End and Broadway’s biggest shows, was asked about her reasons for taking part in the ITV reality show, saying she did not want to pass fears to her granddaughter.
Arlene’s answer gave a nod to 14-year-old Lily Douglas, a champion dancer from Perth who is battling Ewing sarcoma, a type of tumour found in the bone and soft tissue.
She has a close friendship with Lily and her family.
In 2017, Arlene donated to the fundraising appeal set up to raise money for Lily. The money helped support Lily’s parents while she was receiving treatment at hospital in Edinburgh.
This summer, Arlene presented Lily with a teenager of courage award at the Pride of Scotland awards.
Arlene said: “The reason I was doing it in the first place is twofold, there’s my granddaughters.
“I grew up afraid of snakes, afraid of anything small that moved, and I passed that onto my daughters but I was determined I was not going to pass this onto my granddaughter.
“Which then made me think about fear, and this programme.
“I’ve watched it for so long, is about overcoming fear and one of the bravest, bravest, fearless girls I know is a little girl called Lily Douglas whose just won a Scottish Pride of Britain award for courage, a teenager of courage.
“She’s so fearless and I thought here am I afraid of so many things, what way better can you push yourself than to do something like this.”
On social media following Arlene’s interview, Lily’s mum, Jane Douglas, said: “We are so, so proud of you and thank you for everything you do for my girl.
“We love you and are so very proud of you and will speak to you soon. Lily and I [are] in tears here for talking about her your amazing.”
Jane told The Courier that Lily was her reason for taking part in the show following a meet up in the summer, where she met Andrew Lloyd Webber and asked Arlene if she would ever take part in the famous ITV show.
Arlene said she was too scared to ever take part but then phoned Lily two weeks before she left for the show and said that Lily’s fearlessness inspired her to be the same way and that she wanted to be brave for the teenager.
Jane said: “We were both just so shocked that she mentioned Lily, she phoned Lily before she went in so we knew her reasons for doing it but were not expecting her to mention it.
“She said she would phone us when she gets out and gets her phone back, so maybe in the next day or two.
“Arlene always phones us and keeps in touch with us, asking how Lily is.”
Lily was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma, a rare bone cancer, aged nine and has become an inspiration to many.
Last July she collapsed and doctors had discovered that the disease had spread, leaving her paralysed and unable to move her right side. Lily is now reliant on a wheelchair.
She was a winning ballet, tap and street dancer who was invited to audition for Scottish Ballet, being able to meet some of the dancers and join them on stage in 2019 thanks to Scottish Ballet’s 50th anniversary Make a Wish campaign.
The experience was then included in a BBC Scotland documentary.
Arlene presented Lily with her Pride of Scotland award in July, saying the teen “stole a little bit of her heart”.
— Dame Arlene Phillips (@arlenephillips) December 5, 2021
She said she was in awe of Lily’s “courage, fearlessness, fighting spirit and steeliness”.
Lily was also inspired by the efforts of Sir Captain Tom Moore and raised more than £4,000 for NHS Charities by trying to take a few steps on her frame, her first in six months.
She has taken part in several public and charity events, including with celebrity chefs and met girl group Little Mix when they performed in Dundee in 2017.
