Angela Rippon Reportedly Set for Strictly Christmas Return at 82

Angela Rippon could make another Strictly Come Dancing appearance at 82, returning for the show’s Christmas special after setting its age record in 2023. Her reported signing gives the festive contest a familiar name with a memorable first run behind her—and raises the prospect of another partnership with Kai Widdrington.

Rippon is reportedly among the returning names for this year’s festive edition of Strictly Come Dancing. The former newsreader, now 82, would extend a record she first set when she joined the programme’s 21st series in 2023. Before her, Johnny Ball held the mark after competing at 74 in 2012.

The report comes from The Sun, which quoted a source saying Rippon was delighted to be invited back and eager to learn who her professional partner would be. The same source said she had enjoyed dancing with Widdrington previously and would welcome another pairing, while recognizing that the decision is still to come.

Rippon’s age and fitness were part of the conversation around her first appearance, but her contribution was defined on the floor. Her flexibility, control and high kick became standout moments, including the much discussed move of raising her leg above her head. The source quoted for the new report recalled that moment as a lasting impression of her first Strictly run.

The Christmas format adds a different stakes to that possible return. The upcoming special is set to feature six former contestants rather than newcomers competing for the top prize. For Rippon, the attraction would be another performance in a compact contest, with the added interest of seeing whether she and a partner can build on the chemistry she showed with Widdrington.

When she first competed, Rippon said she had been clear with Widdrington about her limits and ambitions. “I just want to do everything properly,” she told Radio Times. “I’ve told him: ‘Challenge me.’” That approach reflected a willingness to take on demanding choreography, while keeping the focus on performing the steps well rather than relying on a single crowd-pleasing trick.

She offered a similar explanation of her physical preparation in an interview with Hello! Magazine. Rippon said her flexibility made the high kick possible, but stressed that sustained fitness mattered beyond the headline move. She pointed to a long television broadcast as evidence of the stamina her work required: she said she was on air from 3am until 4:30 in the afternoon, a 13-hour stretch.

Rippon also pushed back on the idea that age should define what a performer can attempt. “It’s a number on a piece of paper,” she said, describing how older women had told her they were glad to see her take part. One woman she met while shopping spoke of feeling invisible because of her age and hair colour. Rippon said her own attention was on whether she could manage the steps.

That outlook fits the appeal of a return: the record is striking, but the dancing gives it meaning. In 2023 she paired with Widdrington and impressed audiences with her range, while making clear that technique and stamina mattered as much as flexibility. The BBC declined to comment after Metro contacted representatives. Until the cast and pairings are confirmed, a reunion with Widdrington remains a possibility rather than a certainty.

If the report proves accurate, Rippon will have the chance to add a new chapter to a Strictly story already marked by a record-setting debut. The Christmas special’s six returning contestants will each arrive with an established connection to the show; Rippon’s defining question is whether she can turn that first-run momentum into another performance worth remembering.