Strictly Come Dancing is officially back and one of the celebrities taking to the iconic ballroom floor in this year's series is broadcaster Angela Rippon.
The 78-year-old, who is making history as the oldest contestant to compete on the show, is partnered with pro dancer Kai Widdrington – and there's no doubt they'll be impressing viewers with their amazing routine on Saturday night.
While Angela is a familiar face up and down the nation thanks to her illustrious journalism career, how much do you know about her home life? Find out all we know here, from where she lives to her relationship history…
Where does Angela Rippon live?
Angela resides in London but splits her time between the UK capital and her native Devon.
In an interview with The Times in 2017, Angela explained that while her main residence is in Kensington, west London, she journeys down to Devon every Christmas to spend the festive period with her family.
© Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock"I inherited the family home just outside Tavistock on the edge of Dartmoor when my mother died," she said. "The extended family, including my godson and his wife, always join me there for Christmas."
Angela also owns a one-bedroom apartment in Juan-les-Pins on the French Riviera. "It's perfect for entertaining and getting away from it all," she told the publication at the time, explaining that her friends Gloria Hunniford and Elaine Paige have places nearby.
© GettyAngela Rippon's relationship history and family life
In 1967, at the age of 22, Angela tied the knot with her childhood sweetheart Christopher Dare, whom she first met at a YMCA dance when she was 17.
The couple lived in a 17th-century cottage in the Devon countryside during their 20-year marriage, which came to an end when they divorced in 1989.
In a previous interview with Modern&Mature, Angela said that while the split wasn't an "acrimonious" one, it was a stressful time in her life.
© Monty Fresco/ANL/Shutterstock"It was a stress, of course it was," she said. "It was a very stressful period for all sorts of reasons. My immediate feeling was, 'Oh God, I've failed at this.' But in fact, he and I are still good friends."
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She went on to reveal that she and Christopher talk on the phone twice a month and over email. The presenter also detailed the "good" relationship she has with her ex-husband's partner, Judy. "He lives in Spain now with his partner, with Judy. We exchange cards at birthdays and Christmas," she said.
© Shutterstock"Judy kind of updates me on what they're doing with their home down in Spain. It's a good relationship for all of us."
While Angela and Christopher never had children, the broadcaster is close to her godson and two "honorary goddaughters", who are the offspring of her two closest friends. "I've had young people around me. I was there when they were babies and I've seen them grow up so I feel as if I've got a kind of surrogate family," she told Modern&Mature.
In 2015, Angela revealed that she doesn't think she'll remarry anytime soon. "I've discovered I'm very happy being single," she told the Daily Mail. "I suppose, if I'm honest, when your heart is broken it's painful and I don't want to go there again."
Every Strictly Come Dancing winner so far
- 2004: Natisha Kaplinsky (partner Brendan Cole)
- 2004: Jill Halfpenny (partner Darren Bennett)
- 2005: Darren Gough (partner Lilia Kopylova)
- 2006: Mark Ramprakash (partner Karen Hardy)
- 2007: Alesha Dixon (partner Matthew Cutler)
- 2008: Tom Chambers (partner Camilla Dallerup)
- 2009: Chris Hollins (partner Ola Jordan)
- 2010: Kara Tointon (partner Artem Chigvintsev)
- 2011: Harry Judd (partner Aliona Vilani)
- 2012: Louis Smith (partner Flavia Cacace)
- 2013: Abbey Clancy (partner Aljaž Škorjanec)
- 2014: Caroline Flack (partner Pasha Kovalev)
- 2015: Jay McGuiness (partner Aliona Vilani)
- 2016: Ore Oduba (partner Joanne Clifton)
- 2017: Joe McFadden (partner Katya Jones)
- 2018: Stacey Dooley (partner Kevin Clifton)
- 2019: Kelvin Fletcher (partner Oti Mabuse)
- 2020: Bill Bailey (partner Oti Mabuse)
- 2021: Rose Ayling-Ellis (partner Giovanni Pernice)
- 2022: Hamza Yassin (partner Jowita Przystał)
- 2023: Ellie Leach (partner Vito Coppola)
