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Is Angela Rippon married? About her relationships, divorce, and family

TUKO Wire source Monday, August 24, 2026

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Is Angela Rippon married? About her relationships, divorce, and family — Entertainment · The Horizon Wire

This story has significance for readers across Kenya and beyond.

Angela Rippon has not been married since 1989. Britain's pioneering newsreader wed her childhood sweetheart, Christopher Dare, in 1967 — but the couple divorced after 22 years together. Now 81, she has spoken openly about choosing to remain single, ruling out remarriage and insisting she is, in her own words, "very happy being single." She has no children, no confirmed partner, and no plans to change either.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Key takeaways

- Angela Rippon married Christopher Dare in 1967 and divorced in 1989 after 22 years of marriage.

- She has never remarried and has publicly stated she does not intend to.

- Angela and Christopher have no children together.

- She describes her post-divorce life as one of contentment, maintaining a friendly relationship with her ex-husband.

- Her net worth is estimated at between £2 million and £4 million, according to multiple sources.

Profile summary

Full name | Angela May Rippon |

Date of birth | 12 October 1944 |

Age | 81 |

Birthplace | Plymouth, Devon, England |

Nationality | British |

Occupation | Journalist, newsreader, presenter, author |

Spouse | Christopher Dare (m. 1967; div. 1989) |

Children | None |

Active years | 1966–present |

Net worth | Est. £2–4 million |

Honours | OBE (2004), CBE (2017) |

Angela Rippon's husband: her marriage to Christopher Dare

Angela Rippon married her childhood sweetheart, Christopher Dare, in 1967. Dare was an engineer. She was just 22 years old at the time, and the pair built a quiet life away from the cameras.

They spent their married life in a 17th-century cottage on the edge of Dartmoor. By all accounts, it was a deeply private existence — a deliberate counterpoint to Angela's high-profile career on national television.

Why did Angela Rippon split from her husband?

The couple lived in a 17th-century cottage in the Devon countryside during their 20-year marriage, which came to an end when they divorced in 1989. No single cause has ever been publicly confirmed.

In a previous interview with Modern & Mature, Angela said that while the split wasn't an "acrimonious" one, it was a stressful time in her life. She spoke candidly about the emotional weight of the breakdown:

"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.' But in fact, he and I are still good friends." — Modern & Mature via Hello magazine

She went on to reveal that she and Christopher talk on the phone twice a month and over email, and detailed the "good" relationship she has with her ex-husband's partner, Judy, noting that he now lives in Spain with Judy.

Does Angela Rippon have a partner now?

No — Angela Rippon is not in a relationship. She has not publicly confirmed any long-term partner since the divorce and tends to keep her private life away from the media spotlight.

In 2015, Angela revealed she doesn't think she will remarry. "I've discovered I'm very happy being single," she told the Daily Mail.

She also hinted at the emotional cost of her marriage ending:

"I suppose, if I'm honest, when your heart is broken it's painful and I don't want to go there again." — Smooth Radio

Angela has lived a fulfilling life as a happy singleton for some 27 years — and shows no signs of wanting that to change.

Has Angela Rippon had any children?

Angela and Chris didn't have any children together, although she wanted to adopt.

Angela Rippon doesn't have kids — she has never had children, but she has a close relationship with her godson and her two "honorary goddaughters". Her godchildren are the son and daughters of two of her closest friends.

She has spoken warmly about this surrogate family:

"I was there when they were babies and I've seen them grow up, so I feel as if I've got a kind of surrogate family." — Hello Magazine

In an interview with The Times in 2017, Angela explained that while her main residence is in Kensington, west London, she inherited the family home just outside Tavistock on the edge of Dartmoor when her mother died. Her extended family, including her godson and his wife, always join her there for Christmas.

Angela Rippon's family background

Angela was born on 12 October 1944 in Plymouth, Devon, into a working-class family. Her father, John, was a Royal Marine; her mother, Edna, worked at a fine china company called Lawley's and was also a seamstress. She was an only child and did not have any siblings.

Her mother suffered from Alzheimer's disease in her later years. This personal experience shaped Angela's involvement in dementia awareness campaigns and her work with the Alzheimer's Society — a cause she has supported publicly for many years.

Career highlights

She was the first female journalist permanently to present the BBC national television news — a landmark moment that came in 1975.

Her career spans an extraordinary range of programmes and roles:

- She hosted the Eurovision Song Contest in 1977, appeared on an iconic Morecambe and Wise Christmas Show in 1976, presented the first two series of Top Gear and Come Dancing, and co-founded TV-am.

- She co-presented BBC One's flagship consumer programme Rip Off Britain for 15 years before stepping down in 2024.

- Her appearance on Strictly Come Dancing in 2023 introduced her to a new generation of viewers and generated enormous media interest.

The scope and quality of her work has been recognised by the Royal Television Society, who entered her into their Hall of Fame in 1996. In 2002, she was voted European Woman of Achievement. She was awarded the OBE in the 2004 Queen's Birthday Honours for services to broadcasting, the arts, and charity. She was then appointed CBE in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to dementia care.