Angela Rippon's Biography

She studied at Plymouth Public Grammar School and became a reporter with BBC Plymouth and Westward Television before joining the BBC in 1973, initially as a reporter.

In 1975, Angela Rippon began reading BBC1's flagship news broadcast, the Nine O'Clock News.

In 1982 along with Anna Ford, Michael Parkinson, Robert Kee and David Frost, Angela Rippon became one of the 'Famous Five' celebrities who were the on-screen talent of the breakfast channel TV-am when it launched.

However, her stint at TV-am proved short-lived.

Then followed a miscellany of credits including a spell in the USA, and a long period hosting the breakfast show on the London radio station LBC.

Angela Rippon's TV credits have included Come Dancing, The Antiques Roadshow, Top Gear, Cash in the Attic, Rip Off Britain, The Holiday Programme, and Sun Sea and Bargain-Spotting.

One of her most famous TV appearances, however, was as a guest on The Morecambe and Wise Christmas Show in 1976 when she surprised UK audiences with her high-kicking dance routine, which has since been a regular feature of TV highlights clip shows.

Angela Rippon had actually trained as a classical ballet dancer when she was 17.

Angela Rippon once wrote a biography of Captain Mark Phillips, when he was still married to Princess Anne.

She was awarded an OBE for her services to broadcasting in 2004.

In an interview with The Independent Angela Rippon revealed that she owns more than 100 pair of shoes.

Angela Rippon supports several charities including being patron of the Hunger Project and an Ambassador of the Alzheimer's Society.

Her mother Edna had suffered from dementia before she passed away.

In 2011, Angela Rippon was paired with Sean Rice on ITV's Dancing on Ice.

They appeared on the first programme in Dancing on Ice, in which eight of the couples danced, and together with Nadia Sawalha and Mark Hanretty they were voted off.

In 2016, she presented the BBC One documentary The Truth About Dementia.

Since 2017, she has been raising awareness for the RAD's Silver Swans project, branded ballet classes aimed at the over-55s.

In 2023, she was paired with Kai Widdrington on Strictly Come Dancing. They got to Blackpool, but went out at that stage, coming seventh.