This Is Your Life: Angela Rippon

Angela RIPPON (1944-)

THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Angela Rippon, journalist, newsreader, presenter and writer, was surprised by Eamonn Andrews while signing copies of her newly published book in a store at the Brent Cross Shopping Centre in London.

Angela, who was born in Plymouth, trained as a journalist with the Western Morning News and the Sunday Independent before joining BBC Plymouth in 1966 as a TV and radio reporter. She later spent several years with ITV's Westward Television as an editor before returning to the BBC as a national news reporter in 1973.

Having first presented a national news programme on BBC2 in 1974, Angela became the first female journalist to read the news regularly on BBC1's Nine O'Clock News the following year. She was the first presenter of BBC television's motoring programme Top Gear and also presented editions of the long-running ballroom dancing show Come Dancing.

"Now I know why he wanted a haircut! I haven't done my shopping yet!"

programme details...

Edition No: 580
Subject No: 577
Broadcast date: Wed 25 Nov 1981
Broadcast time: 7.00-7.30pm
Recorded: Fri 20 Nov 1981
Venue: Royalty Theatre
Series: 22
Edition: 7
Code name: Reader

on the guest list...

Chris - husband
David Way
Phil Drabble
Gordon Beningfield
Joe Henson
Nicholas Parsons
Russell Harty
Jimmy Hill
Lionel Blair
Peter Jay
David Frost
John - father
Edna - mother
Cicely - mother-in-law
Valerie Whitney
Winifred Davies
Lorna Griggs
Carol Hockaday
Roger Hockaday
Mike Allen
Pat Allen
Pauline Garlick
Phil Stone
Barbara Grundy
Mike Wilkinson
Jan Leeming
Marine Flt Lt Derek Levens
Robert Dougall
Cyril Lee
Anna Ford
Margaret - aunt
Ann Miller
Shirley Bosley
Kate - horse

production team...

Researcher: Cathy Parnall
Writers: Tom Brennand, Roy Bottomley
Directors: Paul Stewart Laing, Terry Yarwood
Producer: Jack Crawshaw

names above in bold indicate subjects of This Is Your Life

related pages...

News At Ten

reporting the news

Maurice Leonard

the researcher's story

The Night of 1000 Lives

a celebration of a thousand editions

The deuce of a job getting Ginny's jigsaw to fit

TV Times feature on Virginia Wade

Life's awkward moments

TV Times looks at some 'unplanned' incidents

Screenshots of Angela Rippon This Is Your Life

Scriptwriter Roy Bottomley recalls this edition of This Is Your Life in his book, This Is Your Life: The Story of Television's Famous Big Red Book...

Filming for Angela Rippon's Life cost researcher Maurice Leonard his raincoat: her horse liked the taste and 'ate' it.

Maurice was to become Angela's producer on What's My Line? And dined out on the story.

We surprised Angela at a book signing at Brent Cross on 20 November 1981, and sprang her colleagues from 'the forthcoming breakfast television' – Peter Jay, David Frost and Anna Ford.

Series 22 subjects