If you’re bad at math (like most of us after a glass of wine), here’s the breakdown: she was born during World War II, which means she’s seen more changes in media than a chameleon in a disco. She started on local radio in the 1960s, when television was black-and-white and people actually sat through fifteen minutes of adverts.
Yet here she is in 2026, still hosting Rip Off Britain and looking like she’s just stepped out of a time machine set to “eternal glamour.” The woman wears a swimsuit at 79 and makes it look aspirational, while I look like a soggy potato in board shorts. It’s not fair, but it’s true.
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Rippon herself credits her longevity to good genes, a love of walking, and avoiding the “death-knell” of heavy drinking. She also does Pilates, which sounds pleasant until you realize she can still kick her leg up to her ear while you’re struggling to tie your shoes.
Angela Rippon, 77, on health fears despite fitness 'Never know what's
In 2026, she famously appeared on Strictly Come Dancing at age 78, twerking (yes, twerking) with professional dancer Kai Widdrington. If you haven’t seen the clip, imagine your grandmother doing the Macarena on espresso—it was that level of iconic. The internet exploded, and Angela casually became a meme for “aging gracefully” while we were still trying to figure out our phone’s dark mode.
She’s also a surprising trivia machine: did you know she once interviewed Nelson Mandela, taught a generation of kids about regional news on Rip Off Britain, and was one of the first presenters to wear a blazer with shoulder pads that could stop a small car? She’s basically the Batman of British broadcasting—except with better hair.
