24 September 2023 , 13:48
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Strictly Come Dancing star Angela Rippon had expressed her 'frustration' with her legs during rehearsals, saying she felt like they were going to collapse - before going on to steal the show with a very flexible high kick on Saturday night.
The former newsreader, who turns 79 in October, had spoken recently about how her legs felt like they might "collapse". But in the first live show last night, she wowed the judges and viewers with one very bendy move during her Cha Cha Cha with Kai Widdrington. Social media users commented how she had "legs for days" while others were left baffled by Angela's age.
Viewers took to Twitter to share their amazement, with one commenting: "Angela Rippon putting woman half her age to shame there! Jaw drop! #strictly," with another adding: "I’d like to have legs like Angela Rippon at my age, let alone hers #Strictly." And another bemused fan said: "I'm in my 30s and if I did a high kick like angela I'd need a stretcher to take me off stage #strictly." Someone else tweeted: "Angela having legs for days, we respect that #strictly."
Angela stunned viewers with her high kick during her Cha Cha Cha (PA)
Former newsreader Angela is partnered with Kai Widdrington (PA)But before her performance blew everyone away, Angela was hit with imposter syndrome, as she felt like her body couldn't keep up with her. When she found out she was partnered with Kai, 28, she said: "I know what I should be doing, I know how it should be feeling, it's actually making my legs do it to the music. I'm just getting cross and frustrated."
She admitted at the start of the week that the training was taking its toll. She said: "I'm exhausted. There are bits of me aching that I didn't know I had."
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Angela added: "I'm enjoying doing it and I'm fine with the bits that I get right. But I get very angry with myself when I absolutely muck it up and do it wrong."
A Strictly stint has been a long time coming for Angela, who actually presented Come Dancing from 1988. Angela joked that BBC bosses should have asked her sooner.
Viewers were shocked to hear that Angela is the oldest ever Strictly contestant (PA)Before last night's show, she said: "When my agent rang me and said 'Angela, they want you to do Strictly' the first thing out of my mouth was 'why didn't they ask me ten years ago?' I shall be 79 years old in October and it's bonkers really that I'm doing this.
"I took a long time to decide if I wanted to do it... my brain says fun...my body says 'What the hell do you think you're doing?' When it was announced I was doing it I had so many people online saying 'Cheers for 70-year-old dancers!'"