Strictly's Angela Rippon shares her first response to doing BBC show aged 78

11 September 2023 , 06:00

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Strictly's Angela Rippon shares her first response to doing BBC show aged 78

Angela Rippon has revealed her first response to doing Strictly Come Dancing aged 78.

The journalist and former Come Dancing host turns 79 in October, when the BBC show gets underway, and is the oldest contestant to ever take part. Speaking to The Mirror and other press ahead of the show's launch, Angela said: "The first words out of my mouth were: 'Why didn't you ask me ten years ago!'"

Talking about taking part in the show and the gruelling training, she added: "I'm not nervous but apprehensive!" However, Angela revealed that she has "kept fit all her life" as she shared the secrets to still being so flexible at 78. She said: "I've kept fit all my life, that's why! You never know what you're going to be asked to do next... and a lot of things that I've done in television have been very physical!" Angela added that she plays tennis and does lots of other things that have kept her strong over the years.

Angela Rippon has revealed her first response to doing Strictly Come Dancing aged 78 (BBC/Kieron McCarron)

The journalist and former Come Dancing host turns 79 in October, when the BBC show gets underway (David Fisher/REX/Shutterstock)

Speaking about which dances she is most excited to learn, Angela said: "I want to learn the Argentine tango, absolutely - all that drama. I'd also love to do the American Smooth too with all those beautiful lines!" Elsewhere, discussing the advice she has been given for Strictly, Angela said: "Everybody that I know who has done it before, they all just said: 'It's going to be b****y hard work but enjoy it because for however long you're in just enjoy it because it will be a lot of fun.'"

Angela was announced for Strictly last month and she said during the time on The One show: "The serious reason behind doing it is because I've been advocating, ever since I did a series called How to Stay Young, where we demonstrated as part of the programme that dance is the complete full body and mind exercise for everybody regardless of your age but particularly for people as they get older.

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"Now as I'm 78, I'll be 79 when we're actually doing the programme, it would be lovely to demonstrate. I know I'm not going to lift that Glitterball, I'm being honest with myself, it would be wonderful if I could last long enough, a few weeks, and demonstrate that even at my age that it genuinely is possible for people who are older to be able to dance."

Olivia Wheeler