BBC star takes on epic dancing challenge in ‘intense' new show
FINAL FLING BBC star takes on epic dancing challenge in 'intense' new show
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A BBC presenter is taking on an epic dance challenge for a new TV show.
Phil MacHugh, who fronted hit travelogue Scottish Fling with pal and actor Martin Compston, stars in a brand new documentary.
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The new show airs next year
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Phil starred in telly travelogues with pal Martin Compston
It will follow Phil as he embarks on an intensely personal and physical
journey back into the world of competitive Highland dancing — a world he once dominated as a young champion.
Twenty-five years after winning a Highland Dance Championship title, Phil will swap the studio floor for the competition stage once more, training to re-enter a world he left behind as a teenager.
The intimate and uplifting doc, which has been commissioned by BBC ALBA and MG ALBA, will explore Scotland's rich Highland dance heritage through Phil's personal lens.
He'll reconnect with the discipline, stamina and artistry that defined his youthful dancing life which saw him represent Scotland at
international festivals and global brand events.
He said: "This is the most exciting, physical and personal challenge I've faced to date.
"I was a competitive Highland dancer from the age of five to 15, and it brought me incredible joy and lifelong memories.
"Now, decades later, I'm stepping back onto the competition floor — not just for nostalgia, but to see if I can truly Fling again.
"This is a dance journey like no other.'
Produced by MacTV and commissioned by BBC ALBA and MG ALBA, the one-hour documentary is set to air in 2026.
Glasgow-raised and Edinburgh-based, TV personality Phil is a native Gaelic speaker and comes from a family enriched with Scottish music, heritage and culture.
In recent years he has become a regular face on TV anchoring BBC factual entertainment programmes with pal Martin.
Hugely popular BBC show starring Martin Compston returns for second series
Their first season of Scottish Fling aired in 2022 and won an RTS Scotland award for Best Entertainment and Factual series at the 2023
awards.
Series two, Norwegian Fling, aired across BBC networks in March 2024 with four million views and streams across BBC iPlayer to date.
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