We have our second Strictly 2023 celeb!
It’s that time of year again when the Strictly Come Dancing announcements start pouring in, and we now have two celebs confirmed for season 21.
Angela Rippon was announced to be joining the competition on Friday night’s episode of The One Show, where she discussed being the oldest contestant in the programme’s history.
The veteran broadcaster will turn 79 as the 2023 series hits full swing, and told viewers yesterday that she wants to show the nation that older people can “keep fit and strong and… feel a million dollars”.
Rippon joins actor Amanda Abbington, who was the first celebrity to be revealed for this year.
We can expect more celebrities to be revealed over the coming days, with the likes of Love Island star Zara McDermott, EastEnders actor Nigel Harman and TV presenter, actor, and comedian Les Dennis rumoured.
Rippon will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of last year’s winner Hamza Yassin, who lifted the Glitterball with his professional dancing parter Jowita Przystal. This was Jowita’s first win after joining the show in 2021.
As Rippon joins the Strictly Come Dancing 2023 line-up here’s everything you need to know, including what they had to say about the show.
Who is Angela Rippon?
Age: 78
Job: Journalist, television presenter
Instagram: @theangelarippon
Twitter: @TheAngelaRippon
Angela Rippon is one of the longest-serving broadcasters on British television today, having started her career in 1966 as a reporter for BBC South West.
She went on to become one of the first female newsreaders to regularly lead a nationwide programme, taking a permanent position on BBC One’s Nine O’Clock News from 1975.
Less formal projects later presented themselves, with Rippon completing stints on Top Gear and Come Dancing, as well as making a memorable cameo appearance on an episode of Morecambe and Wise.
Most recently, she has hosted consumer affairs show Rip Off Britain.
What has Angela Rippon said about joining Strictly Come Dancing?
Rippon said in a statement: “Having been a fan of Strictly since day one, and as a former presenter of Come Dancing, this will be quite an adventure for me.
“A scary one, considering I’m about to be 79. But I’m really looking forward to the challenge, and perhaps being able to learn to dance the Argentinian Tango!”
While appearing on The One Show on Friday 4th August, she added: “The serious reason behind doing it is because I’ve been advocating… that dance is the complete full mind and body exercise for everybody, regardless of your age, but particularly for people as they get older.
“And as I’m now 78, and will be 79 when we’re actually doing the programme… it would be wonderful if I could last long enough, a few weeks, and demonstrate even at my age that it is genuinely is possible for people that are older to be able to dance, to keep fit and strong, and help with their posture and balance, and to feel a million dollars.”
In a video shared to Twitter, Rippon said that Strictly Come Dancing could be “the craziest thing I have ever done”.
The cat’s out of the bag: I’m very pleased to announce I will be joining the cast of this year’s #StrictlyComeDancing! 🕺
— Angela Rippon (@TheAngelaRippon) August 4, 2023
Watch this space, more news coming soon… @bbcstrictly pic.twitter.com/0JIIGjg9O5
When does Strictly Come Dancing start?
An exact start date hasn’t been confirmed for season 21, but based on previous years we can make some educated guesses.
The show usually starts in Autumn, with season 20 kicking off on 23rd September, with the first live show following the day after on the 24th.
Strictly was postponed last year out of respect, following the Queen’s passing.
We can expect season 21 to start around the same time this year, with the launch show on September 16th and the live shows starting from Saturday 23rd September.
The results show usually follows on Sunday.
Strictly Come Dancing will return to BBC One and BBC iPlayer this Autumn.
Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what’s on.
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