Angela Rippon made her Strictly Come Dancing debut on Saturday night when she took to the dancefloor alongside professional partner, Kai Widdrington, to perform a Cha Cha Cha and it's safe to say she made a big impression.
The broadcaster and certified national treasure, 78, impressed the audience and left the judges' jaw's on the floor with that iconic leg extension that will go down in history.
Angela is no stranger to dancing having been trained in Ballet when she was younger – more on that later – and being the presenter of the original dance show, Come Dancing.
It seems this will hold her in good stead for the competition! Find out more about Angela's early career and dance experience below…
Angela Rippon's early career
Angela Rippon is an esteemed journalist and broadcaster who has been a familiar face on television screens up and down the country since the 1960s. She first joined the BBC as a 21-year-old working BBC South West as a television reporter in her hometown in Plymouth. By the time it got to 1975, she had landed a permanent role on BBC One's news at a regular newsreader.
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© MirrorpixAfter that, Angela then began racking up the presenting credits. She fronted coverage of the Eurovision Song Contest and began hosting Top Gear between 1977 and 1979. Angela also appeared on programmes such as Matchpoint, Masterteam and was a regular on BBC Radio Two. She, of course, also hosted the ballroom competition, Come Dancing.
© Andy Butterton - PA ImagesAngela then became known for being the go-to broadcaster for historical events. In 1979, she presented most of the news coverage of the General Election results which saw the UK elect its first female Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher. She also hosted coverage for the wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana in 1981.
Angela's other early credits include: Angela's Morning Report, Sun, Sea and Bargain Spotting, and was a newsreader for the Big Breakfast.
© Joel Ryan - PA ImagesAngela Rippon's later career
In more recent years, Angela's career has shown no signs of slowing down. She has continued to work closely with the BBC for its news coverage as well as special programmes, for example, with Children in Need. Angela also continued her radio work working on BBC Five Live and the BBC One TV series, How To Stay Young.
Since then, she's appeared on GB News and ITV News, and provided her broadcaster knowledge to big events such as the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.
© Guy LevyAngela Rippon's dance experience
Prior to Angela's dance career, she was classically trained in ballet up until the age of 17. The presenter clearly held onto her dance knowledge, and talent, as she went on to be a Chair of the English National Ballet.
No doubt her hosting on Come Dancing will have helped her gain some Ballroom and Latin knowledge she may need for her stint on Strictly!
