She’s a national treasure! (Picture: BBC)
Strictly Come Dancing viewers are championing Angela Rippon to become a permanent presenter on the show after her surprise appearance for the BBC centenary special.
Come Dancing was a ballroom dancing competition show that ran on and off on the BBC, but the contestants were not celebrities.
Rippon, 78, previously hosted Come Dancing, which has since been dubbed the ‘original’ Strictly after airing from 1949 until 1998.
Returning to her roots, the star made a cameo in Kym Marsh’s performance with Graziano Di Prima on Saturday night.
Former Coronation Street actress Kym and her Italian pro closed the night by honouring Strictly’s predecessor show and performing a quickstep to Sweet’s Ballroom Blitz.
Rippon introduced the couple to the floor for a high-octane routine in flamboyant outfits, which went on to secure a score of 27.
The former Come Dancing presenter looked right at home in the Strictly studio (Picture: BBC)
She introduced Kym Marsh ahead of her quickstep (Picture: BBC)
Motsi Mabuse said the routine was like a ‘ray of sunshine coming in’ as she praised their look, however, she noted that she saw uncertainty in soap star’s eyes.
Anton Du Beke added that her performance lacked some of her usual confidence, but usual Mr Nasty Craig Revel Horwood disagreed, saying: ‘I thought you came out absolutely confident.
‘Your frame needs work, we all know that, but I thought the footwork was clean and, as Anton said, you flew around that floor, well done.’
Come Dancing aired on BBC on and off from 1949 until 1998 (Picture: BBC Pictures Archives)
But there was one person in particular who viewers at home were all talking about once the show finished, as many noted how at home Rippon looked in the Strictly ballroom – begging for her to become a permanent fixture.
‘Angela Rippon was pure class. I wish they introduced Strictly like that every week,’ tweeted one fan.
Another tweeted: ‘Can we have Angela Rippon back please? What an absolute PRO!!!’
Kym and Graziano delivered a beautiful performance that Angela Rippon would be proud of (Picture: PA)
Helen Skelton and Gorka Marquez scored big with their Blue Peter Charleston (Picture: PA)
Sadly, Tony Adams found himself at the bottom of the leaderboard, but he still had a fab time on the dancefloor (Picture: PA)
‘Formal petition for Angela Rippon to become the new host of #Strictly,’ tweeted a third and, honestly, we’d sign.
Others added that her presenting cameo was a ‘lovely nod’ to the original Strictly and, quite rightly, declared Rippon a ‘national treasure.’
Despite the sweet tribute to the OG Come Dancing days, this week’s show was far from traditional, as they celebrated 100 years of the BBC in style.
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Couples danced to theme songs from various shows, and we had everything from a Blue Peter Charleston to a Casualty tango.
It was Helen Skelton and Hamza Yassin who found themselves at the top of the leaderboard, narrowly missing out on those perfect scores of 40.
Meanwhile, Arsenal legend Tony Adams scored just 19 with pro partner Katya Jones, sitting at the bottom.
Strictly Come Dancing airs Saturday and Sunday on BBC One.
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She first presented Come Dancing in the 1980s.