Journalist Angela Rippon is swapping the news bulletin for the ballroom! Set to compete in season 21 of Strictly Come Dancing, the 78-year-old will be the oldest contestant to compete in this year's line-up, and she's already showing us how it's done. Speaking exclusively to HELLO! Angela teased what's to come, and it looks like she's already conquered the high kick, and the splits too.
© GettyIn a recent interview, it was Strictly judge Shirley Ballas that raved about Angela, hinting that we'll see some incredible moves from the TV star. Responding to her comments, Angela told HELLO!: "The fact that I can do the high kick is because I'm so flexible because I know you've got to be fit for the job you'd be doing.
"The most recent thing I've done requiring real stamina was when I was doing the Queen's funeral. I was on the air at 3am on television and I came off at 4:30 in the afternoon, 13 hours, and you can't do that if you're not fit."
She continued: "I know people don't describe people as fit because you're sitting down. So I mean I think that's you know very sweet of her [Shirley] to have said that, but the fact I can do splits and high kicks is kind of like a party trick, if you do the Rumba or the Cha-Cha-Cha a really lovely Waltz and Tango that requires you to dance."
As for how she feels about being one of the older contestants on this year's series, Angela truly feels that age is just a number.
"I don't really think about my age very much. I really don't," she said. "It's a number on a piece of paper. As far as I'm concerned. I have met a lot of older ladies saying, 'Oh, we're so pleased you're doing this.'
© Shutterstock"I was in Waitrose at the checkout loading up my groceries and the lady next to me in the queue, she said 'I just want to say that all of my friends, we say that women of our age and our hair colour we're very often invisible.' So yeah, so I'm not thinking about my age, I've just been thinking about whether I can do the steps."
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In a sweet full circle moment, Angela, who has been a regular face on our TV screens for over 50 years, previously hosted the original version of Strictly – a show called Come Dancing which ran from 1988 to 1991 before briefly returning in 1998.
© Shutterstock"I didn't dance on Coming Dancing, I was the presenter," Angela recalled. "But what is lovely is that I missed so many people in the Come Dancing family. The senior choreographer here was a contestant, when I was presenting it, one of the dancers told me that he is a dancer, because he persuaded his mum to let him stay up and watch the show and a couple of the other dancers have said their teachers were contestants when I was presenting it. So it's rather nice to have that sort of combination. Now I find myself, of course not presenting but on the other side.
Angela added, "It's quite a different challenge. Presenting I was in charge, I'm not anymore."
