Angela Rippon CBE is the second celebrity contestant confirmed for the brand new series of Strictly Come Dancing. The multi-award-winning entertainment show, produced by BBC Studios, will return to BBC One and BBC iPlayer for its new series this autumn, once again bringing glitter, glamour and glorious dancing to homes across the nation.

Angela Rippon CBE is an award-winning journalist, TV presenter, newsreader, and author.

Angela’s career spans over 50 years, having presented a wide variety of programmes from hard news and current affairs, to quiz shows and magazine programmes for broadcasters across the world.

She currently presents BBC's Rip-Off Britain and is a regular on Morning Live and The One Show, she presented the original Come Dancing between 1988 – 1991 and has fronted shows such as Top Gear, Antiques Roadshow, The Holiday Programme, Crufts, How to Stay Young and The Truth About Dementia to name a few.

In 2004 she was awarded an OBE in recognition of her services to Broadcasting, Charity and the Arts, then in the 2017 New Year Honours Angela was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to dementia care.

Angela Rippon CBE says: “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!!”

The news was revealed on Friday 4 August on The One Show on BBC One.

The remaining celebrity contestants joining the new series will be announced in due course.