Angela Rippon

Angela May Rippon was born on October 12, 1944, in Plymouth, Devon, England. Her career in broadcasting began in 1966 at BBC South West in Plymouth, later becoming a reporter for BBC TV news. In 1974, she presented a national news program on BBC2 and was appointed as a permanent newsreader for BBC One’s Nine O’Clock News in 1975. This role made her the first female journalist to regularly read national television news. Her work expanded beyond news, including notable appearances on the Morecambe and Wise Christmas Show in 1976 and presenting the first two series of ‘Top Gear’ from 1977 to 1979.

Rippon’s career continued to diversify. She hosted the 1977 Eurovision Song Contest and co-founded the commercial breakfast television franchisee TV-am. After a period with CBS in Boston, where she won an Emmy, she returned to British television and radio. She hosted popular quiz shows like ‘Masterteam’ in the mid-1980s and ITV’s revival of ‘What’s My Line?’ from 1989 to 1990. In the 1990s, she presented daily news programs for LBC Newstalk and later became a stand-in newsreader for Channel 4’s ‘The Big Breakfast’. Her commitment to public service and the arts was recognized with an OBE in 2004 for services to broadcasting, the arts, and charity, and a CBE in 2017 for services to dementia care.

More recently, Rippon has been a co-presenter on the BBC One consumer show ‘Rip Off Britain’ from 2009 until 2024. She also co-hosted ‘Holiday Hit Squad’ in 2013 and 2014, and ‘How to Stay Young’ in 2016. In 2023, she participated as the oldest contestant in ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ at the age of 79, more than three decades after presenting the original ‘Come Dancing’ series. She also provides voiceovers for BBC One’s ‘The Wall’ and contributes to GB News, demonstrating her enduring presence and adaptability in the media landscape.