Trailblazing journalist and former national newsreader Angela Rippon has proven herself unstoppable, becoming the oldest contestant on Strictly Come Dancing in 2023 at the age of 80.
Despite a life that exudes glamour, Angela has faced significant personal heartbreak, including what she describes as a “painful” split from her first love and husband.
In 1967, Angela, who hails from Plymouth, Devon, married her teenage sweetheart, engineer Christopher Dare, after reportedly meeting him at a YMCA dance.
The couple lived in a charming 17th-century Dartmoor cottage but remained childless throughout their marriage, which ultimately ended in 1989 when Angela was 45.
Angela initially maintained a stoic facade, not disclosing their separation until over a year later, by which time Christopher had moved on with another divorcee named Judy.
Reflecting on the breakdown at the age of 60, Angela shared: “I don’t think it did because it wasn’t an acrimonious split. It was a stress, of course it was. It was a very stressful period for all sorts of reasons.”
She continued: “My immediate feeling was, ‘Oh God, I’ve failed at this’. But in fact, he and I are still good friends. I talk to him on the phone a couple of times a month.”
Angela has spoken warmly about maintaining a positive relationship with both Christopher and his partner, describing their ongoing correspondence across birthdays, Christmas, and regular phone calls.
She elaborated further, saying: “He lives in Spain now with his partner, with Judy. We exchange cards at birthdays and Christmas. Judy kind of updates me on what they’re doing with their home down in Spain. It’s a good relationship for all of us.”
In a candid interview with Prima, Angela revealed she has had significant relationships since her divorce but has deliberately chosen to keep them out of the public eye.
She explained: “I was married for 25 years and when we were parting, Christopher told me, ‘I got fed up of people coming to our house all the time’. It made me realise that when you do a job that’s public-facing, you have to respect the privacy of your partner.”
She added: “Hardly anybody beyond my very close circle of friends would know who my partners have been over the past several years.”
Despite finding love again, Angela has not felt compelled to remarry, preferring to protect herself from further heartache.
In a 2015 admission to Mail Online, she confessed: “I’ve discovered I’m very happy being single. I suppose, if I’m honest, when your heart is broken it’s painful and I don’t want to go there again.”
While Angela had initially wanted to adopt during her marriage, a desire Christopher did not share, she has expressed contentment with how her life has unfolded since.
Angela has described feeling “blessed” with three godchildren, who she considers a “surrogate family” and who have promised to take care of her in her later years.