Angela Rippon and Kai Widdrington have more shocking moves up their sleeves (Picture: PA/BBC/Instagram)
Angela Rippon has promised plenty more age-defying moves to come in her Strictly Come Dancing experience.
The TV legend, 79, makes history this year as the oldest contestant to ever grace the dancefloor.
Partnered with Kai Widdrington, 28, Angela has won a place in viewers’ hearts, as well as wowing everyone with her flexibility.
In the very first week, she left jaws on the floor with a killer leg move during her cha cha, which had the judges gasping for breath also.
Insisting they’ve only just scratched the surface of what Angela is capable of, she and Kai told Metro.co.uk that Strictly fans should strap themselves in.
Ahead of their week 4 rumba, Kai teased: ‘We’re hoping for another impactful moment like we had in week 1. We have a few moments in this dance where people can go, “Oh yeah, that’s Angela Rippon, she’s back”.’
Angela, 79, is Strictly’s oldest-ever contestant (Picture: PA)
On the iconic leg lift, Angela explained: ‘I accept that is a party trick because I just am flexible, that’s why I can do it. It’s not dancing. It’s just a one-off.
‘But Kai will confirm that what he says to me is, “Can you do this?”‘
Chiming in, Kai said: ‘It is a luxury that Angela is very supple and flexible, but it wasn’t dancing, she’s just got a very flexible hamstring which is why we could get her leg that high. This week, though, when we do something of that nature, it is through dance, it’s not just standing there. And she’s dancing through everything that she’s doing this week and it’s another moment.’
‘It’s three moments!’, declared Angela, to which Kai burst out laughing.
‘Oh yeah! There are two more after that. We hit them with a once, twice, three times a lady… so, get ready for it!’
Buckle up, folks!
The iconic leg movement is only the tip of the iceberg! (Picture: BBC)
Elsewhere, Angela spoke about the support she’s had from friends and Strictly viewers alike, having inspired other older generations to take up exercise and dancing.
‘A lot of people in my age group do come up to me and say, “Well done, thank you for doing it.”
‘Some friends said to me, “You have no idea how much you’ve inspired some of us to get out and do things!”
‘That was one of the reasons why I agreed to do the competition.’
The former Come Dancing star added: ‘Having been involved with dancers for so long, particularly with the Royal Academy of Dancers program and Silver Swans, because we did prove scientifically that dance is the best form of mental and physical exercise, that it was an opportunity to put my money where my mouth is!
The former Come Dancing star is proud to have inspired others in her generation to get into fitness (Picture: BBC/Kieron McCarron)
‘I don’t expect anyone to do high kicks! But dance is very good for you physically and socially. As you get older, one of the sad things about life is that you lose many of your friends, for one reason or another, but you’re never going to be isolated or lonely if you go to a dance class because you’re making new friends all the time.
‘It keeps you mentally active and alert, but having fun at the same time! It’s very gratifying to think that, in a small way, I’m achieving what I set out to achieve by doing Strictly.’
Strictly Come Dancing airs Saturday and Sunday on BBC One and iPlayer.
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The leg lift is just one of her party tricks.
