Angela Rippon
Photo by Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock

Angela Rippon’s Private Love Life Sparks Public Intrigue and Lasting Media Fascination

Pioneering broadcaster Angela Rippon, renowned as the first female journalist to secure a permanent role presenting the BBC’s national TV news, has long been a trailblazer in British media. Yet, behind her celebrated on-screen presence lies a love life that has often taken center stage in the headlines. Now at 80, Rippon’s personal journey—from her youthful marriage to her recent decision to remain single—continues to intrigue the public.

Born in Plymouth, Devon in 1944, Angela grew up in a modest, working-class family. Her early life was marked by the absence of her father, a Royal Marine, who only returned in 1947 after the war. Her Scottish mother worked at a fine china company, setting the stage for Angela’s resilient and determined character. These formative years paved the way for a career that would see her covering iconic events, such as Lady Diana’s wedding in 1981 for the BBC, and hosting the predecessor to Strictly Come Dancing, Come Dancing, from 1988 to 1991.

Angela’s personal life has been as eventful as her professional career. At the age of 22, she married her childhood sweetheart, Christopher Dare, whom she met at a YMCA dance when she was just 17. Their 22-year marriage was a significant chapter in her life, and they lived in a charming 17th century cottage on the edge of Dartmoor—a detail fondly recalled by Modern & Mature magazine in an interview conducted around her 60th birthday. Despite their long union, Angela and Chris did not have children together, although she had hoped to adopt. Their separation, however, “wasn’t acrimonious,” as Angela recalls.

Reflecting on that challenging period, she admitted, “It was a stress, of course it was. It was a very stressful period for all sorts of reasons. My immediate feeling was, oh God, I’ve failed at this.” Despite the emotional toll, Angela maintains that she and Chris remain on friendly terms. “He and I are still good friends. I talk to him on the phone a couple of times a month. We email each other,” she revealed, highlighting the amicable nature of their parting.

After waiting a year to announce their separation publicly, Angela observed that Chris had moved on; he now lives in Spain with his partner, Judy, with whom he shares a cordial relationship. “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 matters of the heart since her divorce, Rippon has chosen a path of privacy. “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,’” OK! magazine quotes her as saying. This experience has led her to keep her romantic affairs discreet.

Even when probed about any “wonderful men friends” in her life, Angela remained tight-lipped, explaining, “Even if I did, I wouldn’t say. I never do. I’m very discreet. I think it’s totally different when you’re 60. The passion can still be there and is still there but when you’re young, I think, perhaps lust overtakes an awful lot of people, rather than love very often.” According to the Express, In a 2015 MailOnline interview, she firmly stated, “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.”

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