New Strictly Come Dancing judge Alesha Dixon has hit back at her critics, saying it is "nonsense" she is not qualified to sit on the reality show's panel.
The BBC axed 66-year-old Phillips in favour of Dixon, 30, earlier this year, sparking accusations of ageism.
Following the first two launch editions of Strictly Come Dancing at the weekend, users of the show's internet message boards also criticised Dixon - who won the show in 2007 - as not being qualified to sit on the panel due to her inexperience.
But in an interview with the new Radio Times, published on Tuesday, Dixon said: "It's nonsense to say that I'm not qualified to judge the dancers. I spent six years singing with [girl band] Mis-Teeq, and another four as a solo artist where I had to pick my own dancers and audition them.
"So I'm not new to this. Also, having competed on the show, I'll be the only judge who understands what the celebrity dancers are going through. As a contestant, you're on a physical and emotional journey. Unless you've walked in those shoes, you'll never know how demanding it is."
She added that whatever criticism she received, she would not step down from the show.
"Whatever unkind things have been said about me, I'm now at a place in my life where I'm comfortable in my own skin," she said. "I just go out to be myself. Since all the controversy kicked off, I'd been wanting to get the show up and running and sink my teeth into it. So, let's get it on."
Dixon also revealed that the charges of ageism against the BBC surprised her and that she had not spoken to Phillips since she replaced her.
"It was all a shock to me, especially how quickly everyone jumped on the ageism argument," she said. "Maybe people wanted to start a catfight. But I didn't see it as an argument between Arlene and me. We were just caught in the middle.
"I haven't even spoken to her about it. Why would I? Was I wounded by some of the comments? Sure. Some of them were very stereotypical and judgmental. When I read that I only won in 2007 because I was half-naked, I did take that seriously. That's not someone offering a considered opinion."
© Guardian