Forward of Strictly Come Dancing’s 2023 return, 79-year-old contestant Angela Rippon has revealed how dance has helped her by the emotions of ‘isolation and loneliness’ that so many ‘older folks’ face every day.
The time is almost right here, Strictly Come Dancing is coming again to our residing rooms for its hotly-anticipated 2023 run. Hitting screens as soon as once more on Saturday 16 September, many are already speculating about who could fall sufferer to the long-lasting curse this yr whereas others are placing the ending touches on the events they’ve deliberate for the massive event.
However whereas viewers cannot wait, we’re certain that a few of this yr’s contestants are beginning to get a bit nervous. A type of, who has now admitted she is questioning ‘what the hell’ she was considering by agreeing to seem on the present, is 79-year-old journalist and tv presenter Angela Rippon.
Talking about what swayed her determination to hitch this yr’s Strictly Come Dancing line up, she revealed, “It was a mixture of issues actually… I’ve been concerned in dance for lots of my profession, I’m not a dancer however have been related to it in a technique or one other. I am now an envoy for the Royal Academy of Dance’s Silver Swan programme, which goals to become old folks again into dance.
(Picture credit score: BBC/Kieron McCarron)
“After I did a collection referred to as How To Keep Younger they did correct scientific based mostly analysis that discovered that dance was one of the best train for 50-60 yr olds, it’s good for all-round thoughts and physique train to maintain you robust and supple. It is good for steadiness, stimulates your mind and social activity- it’s a package deal!”
For Angela, dance is greater than only a cause to get out of the home and transfer your physique. She believes it is the right strategy to beat, what she referred to as, the ‘two terrors of previous age.’
She mentioned, “For older folks, dance beats these two terrors of previous age – isolation and loneliness. You are by no means going to be lonely whenever you go to a dance class.”
“I like dance and I’ve been selling dance as a manner of retaining robust, match and agile and balanced, so I suppose I wished to do the present due to that and to show that dance might help you, in so some ways, it doesn’t matter what your age.”
(Picture credit score: BBC Studios/Ray Burmiston)
Nonetheless, that doesn’t imply that Angela is not nervous about her time on the present. At almost 79-years-old, she personally thinks it is ‘bonkers’ that she has determined to hitch the lineup.
“When my agent rang me and mentioned ‘Angela, they need you to do Strictly’ the very first thing out of my mouth was ‘why didn’t they ask me ten years in the past?!’,” she mentioned. “I shall be 79 years previous in October and it’s bonkers actually that I’m doing this. I took a very long time to resolve if I wished to do it… my mind says enjoyable…my physique says ‘What the hell do you assume you’re doing?’!”
However the response to her spot on the present is spurring her on and she or he is set to make use of her time on Strictly to get ‘folks of a sure age’ again into the highlight after they’ve been ‘invisible’ for therefore lengthy.
She shared, “When it was introduced I used to be doing it I had so many individuals on-line saying ‘Cheers for 70-year-old dancers!’ I used to be within the grocery retailer the opposite day and the woman subsequent in line, who was of a sure age, tapped me on the shoulder and mentioned ‘can I simply say that I and my mates are thrilled you’re going to Strictly… typically I really feel folks of a sure age turn out to be invisible and also you’re going to make just a few headlines for us.’”
“So I’m doing this as a result of, if I can final just a few weeks and reveal that it’s doable in your 70s..that you are able to do one thing that retains you match and powerful and agile, that can be good.”
“This can be a very public strategy to put my cash the place my mouth is, however will probably be a problem!” We want her all of the luck on the planet!
