Latest news with #PhilMacHugh
Daily Record
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
BBC star Phil MacHugh returns to the world of Highland dancing in new documentary
The new one-hour documentary will follow Phil MacHugh as he returns to competitive Highland dancing and is set to air on BBC ALBA in 2026. BBC presenter Phil MacHugh is set to take audiences on an intensely personal journey as he returns to the world of competitive Highland dancing in a brand new documentary. The one-hour film, commissioned by BBC ALBA and MG ALBA and produced by MacTV, is due to air in 2026. Phil, who previously fronted the hit travelogue Scottish Fling alongside actor Martin Compston, will revisit the discipline and stamina that once defined his life as a young champion. Twenty-five years after claiming a Highland Dance Championship title, he will swap the studio floor for the competition stage once more, training to compete again in a world he left behind as a teenager. Taking to social media to share the news, Phil wrote: 'Scottish Fling, Norwegian Fling and now a Highland Fling. "I'm so excited to reveal a brand new TV project I am filming this Summer, where I'll be reminiscing about my youth as a Highland Dancing Champion. 25 years after winning a Championship, I'll be training once again to go back and compete on the stage and dance again at a competition!' He added: 'It's the most exciting, physical and personal challenge I've faced to date, but I am ready, and determined to Fling again in this beautiful dance culture and explore the world of competitive Highland Dancing as a man who adored it as a boy. "This dance world brought me so much joy as a competitive dancer from the age of 5-15, and then I travelled the globe representing Scotland at festivals, embassies and concerts for years after. "Today, I get to dance all over again BUT the question is, can I still dance and will I be able to compete again?' The documentary will offer an intimate and uplifting perspective on Scotland's rich Highland dance heritage, seen through Phil's personal lens. Viewers will witness him reconnecting with the artistry, athleticism and precision that marked his early career, while exploring the broader cultural significance of Highland dancing. Glasgow-raised and Edinburgh-based, Phil is a native Gaelic speaker and comes from a family steeped in Scottish music, heritage and culture. In recent years, he has become a familiar face on television, anchoring BBC factual entertainment programmes alongside Martin Compston. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Their first season of Scottish Fling aired in 2022 and earned an RTS Scotland award for Best Entertainment and Factual series in 2023. The follow-up, Norwegian Fling, aired across BBC networks in March 2024, amassing four million views and streams on BBC iPlayer to date. Phil expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to revisit a formative chapter of his life, writing: 'This is a dance journey like no other and I can't wait to share with you how it goes when it's broadcast on the BBC in 2026. "Big thanks to @mac_television for believing in my vision for this, and @mgalba_ and @ for commissioning the documentary.'
Scotsman
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
I'm so excited to be filming a new BBC series about heading back to my Highland Dancing roots
Edinburgh TV presenter Phil MacHugh reveals all about filming his latest BBC show, after heading around Scotland and Norway on 'Flings' with actor and friend Martin Compston. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... I'm so excited to reveal a brand new as yet untitled TV project I am filming this summer, where I'll be reminiscing about my youth as a Highland dancing champion. Twenty-five years after winning a championship, I'll be training once again to go back and compete on the stage and dance again at a competition, taking on Highland dancers who are at the top of their game. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It's the most exciting, physical and personal challenge I've faced to date, but I am ready, and determined to Fling again in this beautiful dance culture and explore the world of competitive Highland dancing as a man who adored it as a boy. Edinburgh TV presenter Phil MacHugh has returned to his Highland dancing roots for a new documentary he is currently filming for the BBC. | Phil MacHugh This dance world brought me so much joy as a competitive dancer from the age of 5-15, and then I travelled the globe representing Scotland at festivals, embassies and concerts for years after. I will also look back at my memories of Highland dancing and the competitions I took part in and dancing all over the world. I loved dancing as a kid. Whether competing or just travelling the world. So I'm excited to be getting back into it. It's something that feels a bit alien but also familiar at the same time. It's never left me really. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad People forget the level of fitness and the amount of training needed. It's different from being 15 compared to now at 40, so I've been doing a lot of fitness work to get ready for the challenge of competing again. So many kids do Highland dancing, especially girls, but it started in the military with men dancing after battles, the history of it lies in Scotland. There are things you did as a kid you don't reflect on, but you might want to do it again. Like footballers who might not have kicked a ball for years but go back into the game playing for an amateur team. Phil loved Highland dancing as a kid, pictured here aged five on the left and 15 on the right. | Phil MacHugh Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Today, I get to dance all over again BUT the question is, can I still dance and will I be able to compete again? This is a dance journey like no other and I can't wait to share with you how it goes when it's broadcast on the BBC in 2026. I don't know how it's going to go, it's very exciting and nerve-wracking. This is the right time to do it again with this project. It's very much the beginning of this project, with filming starting a few weeks ago, building up to a competition at the end of September following a 10 week fitness camp. I guess life takes over, I have been in the world of PR for 12 years and PR and politics before that, so I've been on the 'too busy' train for a long time. The 'flings' with Martin Compston in Norway and Scotland for our BBC series were successful, so I always had an idea of doing this kind of show in my mind, I want to show the intensity of training and hard work Highland dancers put in. Thanks to @mac_television for believing in my vision for this, and @mgalba and @ for commissioning the one hour documentary.
