Angela Rippon, 81, 'kicked in the head' and threatened as she recalls 'horrific' muggings: 'Very scary'

Lauren Williams
Thu, 09 Apr 2026 09:54:24 +0000

Television presenter Angela Rippon has disclosed that she fell victim to two frightening street robberies in the capital during a period spanning 2000 to 2001.

The 81-year-old broadcaster shared the harrowing details during an appearance on Vanessa Feltz's Channel 5 programme, where the panel discussed whether confronting criminals poses too great a risk.

Rippon explained that both incidents involved two male assailants targeting her whilst she was alone.

"I've been mugged on two occasions in London and on both of them, it was me and there were two men," she told Ms Feltz.

The former BBC newsreader, who competed on Strictly Come Dancing in 2023, described attempting to resist during the attacks but ultimately being overpowered by the perpetrators.

During the first robbery, Rippon found herself on the ground after being unable to defend herself against the attackers.

She adopted a protective position, hoping that the public setting would prompt passersby to intervene on her behalf.

"I ended up on the ground, and sort of curled up in the foetal position, and I thought that I might be safe there, and that was because it was so public, on a public pavement, that people would stop and help me," she recalled.

However, when one of the assailants struck her head with a kick, she reconsidered her strategy.

"At the point when one of them kicked my head and I suddenly thought 'actually, having concussion is not worth it,' and I just did that and let them take my handbag," Ms Rippon said.

Despite surrendering her belongings, she pursued the thieves on foot, though her high heels proved no match for the fleeing criminals, whom she likened to "young gazelles".

The second attack occurred close to Rippon's west London residence and proved considerably more violent than the first.

One of the muggers gripped her by the throat whilst threatening to snap her fingers unless she relinquished her rings.

"One of them had his hands around my throat and was threatening to break my fingers if I didn't let them take my rings," she recounted.

The 81-year-old lost several pieces of jewellery in the assault, including diamond stud earrings that were forcibly torn from her ears and a watch ripped from her wrist.

The item she mourned most, however, was a ring of little monetary worth but immense personal significance, given to her by an aunt to mark her 21st birthday.

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"I angst more over that than I did over the loss of my watch or my diamond earrings," she admitted.

Ms Rippon reflected that material possessions simply cannot justify risking serious harm during such confrontations.

"You never know whether or not someone actually has a knife, and when they are bigger than you, I'm sorry, they are going to wallop you, and it's not pleasant. It's scary and it hurts, it's very scary," she said.

The broadcaster noted that witnesses to her ordeal chose to record the incident on their mobile phones rather than stepping in to assist, though she acknowledged they were likely fearful of becoming targets themselves.

Speaking previously about the 2001 incident, Ms Rippon described it as a "terrifying experience" that appeared premeditated, suggesting the attackers had been lying in wait specifically for her.