Angela Rippon channels Julie Andrews during movie week performance on Strictly

The veteran broadcaster was sporting a cropped blond wig.
Angela Rippon and Kai Widdrington during their appearance on the live show (Guy Levy/BBC/PA)
PA Media
Ellie Iorizzo7 October 2023
The Weekender

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Angela Rippon has performed a quickstep to a song from The Sound Of Music during movie week on Strictly Come dancing.

The veteran broadcaster, 78, channelled British actress Julie Andrews, with a cropped blond wig during the dance to Do-Re-Mi from the 1965 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical film, alongside her professional partner Kai Widdrington.

“The studio is alive with the sound of music,” host Tess Daly said, before the couple scored a total of 26.

Judge Shirley Ballas noted a “tumble on the feet here” but said it was “another great performance”, while Anton Du Beke said she has “wonderful musicality and a great sense of form” and Craig Revel Horwood said: “I can’t fault your performance skills.”

The professional dancers kicked off the show with a magical Disney-inspired medley which included songs from Pocahontas, Frozen and red-haired Dianne Buswell leading the dance to The Little Mermaid.

BBC presenters Daly and Claudia Winkleman began the third week with Mickey and Minnie Mouse to celebrate 100 years of Disney, while characters Goofy, Donald and Daisy Duck also walked out with the judges.

Actor Nigel Harman opened movie week with a Batman-inspired jive alongside his professional partner Katya Jones, dressed with capes inspired by the film, scoring a total of 25.

Actor Layton Williams and professional dance partner Nikita Kuzmin, who received nines across the board in week two, scored 28 for their Grease-inspired Viennese waltz to There Are Worse Things I Could Do.

Revel Horwood said: “I think you came out with way too much attack – it became jagged and lacked grace.”

Struggling with her confidence after being in the dance-off, Nikita Kanda channelled 90s film Clueless for her jive with partner Gorka Marquez, scoring 21.

Actress Amanda Abbington scored 30 for her “magical” Bridget Jones-inspired rumba with partner Giovanni Pernice to Out Of Reach by Gabrielle, while Love Island star Zara McDermott and Graziano Di Prima received 25 for their Puss In Boots pasodoble.

Irish TV presenter Angela Scanlon and Carlos Gu’s Charleston from the film Damn Yankees scored 35, while Scanlon’s parents watched from the audience for the first time.

Last week, former Family Fortunes host Les Dennis was the first celebrity eliminated from the competition after he found himself bottom of the leader board.

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