Of all the (dance) steps I've taken, caring for my parents was the hardest

As she backs a new campaign encouraging caregivers to prioritise their health, former Strictly judge and celebrity choreographer Dame Arlene Phillips movingly reflects on the challenges of looking after her late mother and father

- By Karen Rockett

FROM West End musicals to Strictly Come Dancing, Dame Arlene Phillips has always been a woman with the right moves.

And while the world-renowned choreographer is now 82, she remains a force on the dance floor as one of the creative powerhouses behind a stunning new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Starlight Express.

And for a woman steeped in dance, she never stops.

"I recently choreographed a wedding dance for two friends and I couldn't help but get up on the dance floor and join them even though my knees are ruined from years of dancing," she chuckles. "Dancing makes you feel good and it has given me an amazing life working with some incredible people."

Dance not only keeps Arlene mentally and physically fit, it's long been a form of escape during some of the most difficult and challenging times of her life.

These include tirelessly caring for her late parents, Rita and Abraham, who died of leukaemia and Alzheimer's respectively. New research reveals the UK's 5.8 million unpaid caregivers are facing a hidden health crisis themselves, with more than half reporting a decline in their physical (52%) or mental health (53%) due to their responsibilities.

Worryingly, more than half (55%) said they feel guilty if they prioritise their own wellbeing with 58% saying they miss out on significant events, such as birthdays and weddings, due to their caregiving responsibilities.

And that's why Arlene is encouraging all carers to prioritise their own health for the first Caring for Caregivers Week.

"Caring for a loved one is one of the most difficult roles anyone can take on, both mentally and physically," she says. "Millions of unpaid carers work tirelessly, sacrificing their own needs to care for others, forfeiting sleep, their own hobbies and socialising due to their responsibilities."