Angela Rippon

Angela Rippon has maintained a prolific career in broadcasting, transitioning from a pioneering newsreader and journalist to a versatile presenter and advocate for various causes. After becoming the first female journalist to regularly read national television news for BBC One’s Nine O’Clock News in 1975, Angela Rippon established herself as a pioneering figure in broadcasting. Her television career began in 1966 at BBC South West, transitioning to a reporter for BBC TV news before presenting a national news program on BBC2 in 1974. Rippon quickly diversified her presence, making a notable appearance on the iconic Morecambe and Wise Christmas Show in 1976 and hosting the prestigious Eurovision Song Contest in 1977.

During the 1990s, she presented ‘Angela Rippon’s Morning Report’ on LBC Newstalk from 1990 to 1994 and served as a stand-in newsreader for Channel 4’s ‘The Big Breakfast’. Her profound contributions to the arts were recognized with her appointment as Chair of the English National Ballet in 2000. For her extensive services, she was awarded an OBE in 2004 for broadcasting, the arts, and charity, and later a CBE in 2017 for her dedicated services to dementia care. In recent decades, Rippon has maintained a dynamic presence across various television formats.

Angela Rippon continues to engage audiences with her diverse talents. In 2023, she garnered significant attention as the oldest contestant to participate in BBC One’s ‘Strictly Come Dancing’, an appearance made more than three decades after she presented the original ‘Come Dancing’ series. She also regularly contributes to GB News, showcasing her insights on current affairs. Looking ahead, Rippon is scheduled to appear in the popular BBC drama ‘Father Brown’ in 2025, further solidifying her enduring and versatile career in the entertainment industry.