She was nominated for the 1999 Laurence Olivier Theatre Award for Best Theatre Choreographer for the 1998 production of Saturday Night Fever.
She was awarded the OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2001 Queen's Birthday Honours List for her services to Dance.
She attended Broughton Preparatory School in Cheetham Hill, Manchester; Beaver Road Primary School in Didsbury; and Manchester Central High School for Girls after passing the eleven plus exam.
She got her first break into show business when she was a babysitter for Sir Ridley Scott, who used her as a choreographer in an ice-cream commercial on British television.
She was awarded the CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2013 Queen's New Years Honours List for her services to Dance and to Charity. She is a choreographer.
She was awarded Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 2021 Queen's Birthday Honours List for her services to dance. She is a choreographer in London, Greater London, England.
Has one brother, Ian Phillips, and one sister, Karen Phillips.