Angela Rippon gets Strictly Come Dancing boost ahead of Blackpool

Fans have been speculating that the veteran newsreader, 79, has ‘Blackpool Week Plot Armour’ after the last results show

Angela Rippon’s latest Strictly Come Dancing update has left fans delighted, as the hit BBC One series enters a crucial phase of the competition.

On Wednesday (8 November) Rippon, 79, said she’s “extremely excited” to join fellow contestants Layton Williams and Ellie Leach for the Strictly Live arena tour in 2024, expressing her gratitude at being able to “to extend this Strictly journey into” the new year.

The Rip-Off Britain presenter, who is the oldest contestant in the show’s history, wrote on Twitter/X: “I’m extremely excited to announce I’m going to be joining the Strictly live tour next year. I’m having the best time and I’m grateful I get to extend this Strictly journey into 2024. See you on tour!”

Rippon’s fans reacted to the “fantastic news” in the comments section, with several people expressing their desire to watch one of her live performances.

“Many many congratulations Angela. You are brilliant,” one person wrote.

Another comment read: “Over the moon for you Angela So looking forward to seeing you in Glasgow next year.”

Rippon’s announcement comes almost one week before the cast and crew of Strictly travel to Blackpool for the eagerly anticipated live show filmed inside the Blackpool Tower Ballroom – known as the “home of ballroom dancing”.

After the last results show, which ended in elimination forWaterloo star Adam Thomas, some people began speculating that the show was “fixed” and that Rippon had “Blackpool Week Plot Armour” because of her age as well as her past connection to the series – including presenting Come Dancing, the Noughties show which was relaunched as Strictly in 2004.

Angela Rippon joins Strictly Live tour (Instagram @theangelarippon)

One person wrote on X: “Just saw the Strictly Come Dancing results show tonight, and I smell a fix - all four judges saved Angela Rippon, who was by far the weakest contestant this week. Why they saved her? Two reasons - her age, and that she used to host the original Come Dancing.”

In a statement to The Independent, a Strictly source said: “All of the judges are hugely experienced individuals who judge on dance and dance alone in the main show and in the dance offs. Any conspiracy theories suggesting otherwise are simply untrue”.

After Rippon’s dance-off against Thomas, she spoke to presenter Fleur East during an appearance on Strictly spin-off, It Takes Two on Tuesday, adding that she was “cross” with herself after Saturday’s live show performance.

“Oh it was really upsetting. I was cross with myself I think, because, clearly, I hadn’t done everything that Kai had been drumming into me during the week. But at the same time the upside to that is we got to dance it again and normally, of course, you don’t. It was lovely to be able to do it again,” she said.

She also admitted that competing against “someone who’s become a mate” as the weeks go on is “tough”.

These fan theories began circulating online again, after this week’s dance list was revealed.

When it was announced that Rippon and partner Kai Widdrington wil perfom the Paso Doble this week, viewers suggested that Rippon is being assigned ballroom dance routines – as opposed to fast-paced styles uch as the Salsa or Jive – so that she isn’t voted off before Blackpool week.

Rippon previously responded to these “slow dance” claims during a recent appearance on Good Morning Britain.

“Well, we did the Quickstep. I mean, there’s a clue in the title,” she quipped, adding: “And we did the very first dance which was the Cha Cha Cha.”