Angela Rippon, 77, on health fears despite fitness ‘Never know what’s around the corner’

Angela Rippon on couple made homeless due to building work

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Angela Rippon, 77, has had a career spanning over five decades and has shown no signs of stopping. However, the Rip off Britain star has now shared exclusively with Express.co.uk her own health concerns despite staying healthy as she promotes Dementia Awareness Week.

But you never know.

Angela Rippon

Angela has always been lucky with television work, getting her first break at just 21 with BBC South West.

From this, she moved to becoming a reporter for BBC TV news and her career has flown ever since.

Speaking about her current career and health, she said to Express.co.uk: “This is what I do and I’m very fortunate and I’m touching ood and saying it but I’ve always been very fit.

“Because you have to be for what I do. So I’m very fortunate that I’ve always had good health.

“And I hope that that will continue. But you never know.

“None of us know what is around the corner.”

Angela then spoke about the exercise routine she sticks to for an active lifestyle.

These included eating sensibly, playing tennis, and doing Pilates as well as cycling in the winter and summer.

Angela expressed concerns about her health after being in discussion about her involvement with the Alzheimer’s Society.

This comes as Angela’s own mother Edna struggled with dementia, after being diagnosed in 2004.

Speaking about her mother, she detailed: “My late mother Edna, was diagnosed with vascular dementia back in 2003 or 2004, after my father’s sudden death from a massive heart attack.

“At that time I knew very little about dementia, and I realised I needed a bit of help because I was going to be her primary carer right at the beginning.

“So I rang the Alzheimer’s society, asked them for some help and advice and they were very, very supportive and since I have felt that I wanted to give something back to them.”

Due to this, Angela is very involved with the Alzheimer’s Society and their work, for which she is an Ambassador.

She is also the co-chair of the Dementia Friendly Communities Champion Group as part of the Prime Minister’s Challenge on Dementia.

Angela previously made a documentary with the BBC titled Dementia where she investigated Alzheimer’s disease, furthering her knowledge.

The BBC journalist recalled to Express.co.uk something she did on the documentary that changed her perspective of dementia.

She said: “When I was making the documentary for the BBC about dementia, I was given the privilege of going to the national brain bank in Queens Square here in London and they allowed me with one of the clinicians to look at two brains that had been donated for research.

“One was a perfectly healthy brain and it was painted with fat, it was heavy and then next to it was a brain from someone who had died with dementia.

“When we sliced into the dementia brain, it was like having a slice of black lace because this was where the cells had died, there were just holes and they were not replenished.

“And that is what dementia is. It’s not just having a funny turn or being a bit forgetful.

“Dementia is a serious disease of the brain. It takes away someone’s personality. It doesn’t just take away their memory. It takes away so many other things.”

Alzheimer’s Society’s Dementia Action Week (16-22 May) is all about making sure people know what symptoms to look out for and have the confidence to take the first step and visit their GP. Visit alzheimers.org.uk/memoryloss for more information and support.

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