Angela Rippon has hit back at critics who claimed she’s only done ‘slow dances’ on Strictly Come Dancing.
The newsreader has made history as the oldest ever Strictly contestant at 79 and has been praised by the judges for her flexibility and musicality.
On Thursday’s Good Morning Britain Angela hit back at viewers who claimed she was only doing slow dances, saying ‘Well, we did the Quickstep, there’s a clue in the title, and we did the very first dance which was the Cha Cha Cha.
Kai added: ‘We have something fast [this weekend], it’s going to be fun and we’re going to go for a bit of comedy as well.
‘Make no mistake, Angela is doing lots of steps to a fast Charleston and she’s being very much lifted over my head more than once with another trick in there!’
Speaking out: Angela Rippon hit back at critics who claimed she’s only done ‘slow dances’ on Strictly Come Dancing as she appeared on Thursday’s Good Morning Britain
Wow: The newsreader has made history as the oldest ever Strictly contestant at 79 and has been praised by the judges for her flexibility and musicality (pictured with Kai Widdrington)
Angela added: ‘Also, of course, dance isn’t all just about being fast and running around a ballroom, it’s about technique, it’s about precision, and that’s what we’ve done I think in the last two particularly.
‘While it may not look as if it’s very exhausting, to actually get that physical muscular precision when you’re doing things like the Rumba, the Argentine Tango, requires a heck of a lot of energy in a different way!’
While the pair are determined to deliver an energetic performance, Angela confessed she was annoyed that she’d only made it onto the Strictly dance floor now.
She confessed: ‘I would have loved to have done this years ago when I was younger and fitter but this is the first year they asked me!’
The pair will be hoping to impress on the weekend with their Charleston to the Murder, She Wrote theme song for the Strictly Halloween special.
Angela also spoke about how she’s still able to do the splits, having impressed viewers on a weekly basis with her routines.
She explained: ‘It’s party trick. I’m very supple and always have been. I keep fit for the day job I do and every morning I stretch.
‘I would have loved to do it years ago when I was younger and fitter but this is the first time they’ve asked me.’
Yet Angela has credited her success to partner Kai for allowing her to see that anything is possible despite her age as she gushed he is a ‘dream to work with’.
Complimenting the professional dance partner, she previously admitted her girlfriends are jealous she is dancing with Kai as she confessed ‘as a human being he ticks all the boxes.’
Addressing critics, Angela said: ‘Well, we did the Quickstep, there’s a clue in the title, and we did the very first dance which was the Cha Cha Cha’
Kai added: ‘Make no mistake, Angela is doing lots of steps to a fast Charleston and she’s being very much lifted over my head more than once with another trick in there!’
Talking to The Sun, the British icon discussed how she trusts him completely and allows him to push her to her limits each week.
Angela revealed Kai has enabled her to not see her age as a barrier to what she can do.
‘What he’s done is made me realise that there are things I can do that I assumed, at 78 and 79, I wouldn’t be able to do.’
The star is still finding the Strictly training gruelling and admitted that she is now reliant on the Voltarol and Ibuprofen.
However Angela is still having an amazing time, and was blown away after she went viral with her week one performance.
Supple: Angela also spoke about how she’s still able to do the splits, having impressed viewers on a weekly basis with her routines