Angela Rippon: Beyond the Lens

“September 5th 1966 is when I made my first broadcast, and I’ve worked continuously since then.”

Angela's vast experience in front of the camera gives her a rich showreel of career highlights - from reporting on the most hard-hitting world news stories to taking centre stage in one of the most iconic Christmas Day television appearances, Angela's biggest career moments have reached the millions:  

"Most people associate me with the Morecambe & Wise Christmas Show which got something between 23 and 26 million viewers, which you wouldn't get now because of the plethora of TV stations you now have".  

When not high-kicking her way through complex choreography, her flair for reporting and natural presenting skill has helped her bring some of the biggest world events to the UK airwaves. Angela reflects on one of her key moments in her reporting career, reporting on the overthrow of Gorbachev in the 1970's:  

"I used to do the breakfast programme on LBC from 6 until 9 every morning - I was listening on the World Service and they said in Russia, there had been a coup d'etat. I got on the phone immediately to my co-producer and said, that's our story."

I was in the studio by half past four, and by the time I went on the air at 6, I had this amazing programme lined up. We were ahead of every other radio state, even the BBC."

"It was literally flying by the seat of your pants. It was one of the most exhilarating things you can possibly do as a broadcaster".

Angela began her career in photojournalism after being inspired by her father’s photographs taken during service with the Royal Marines. She describes how photography became an important part of her life “privately as well as professionally” after seeing her father visiting many countries in photo albums collected over the years.   

“If you can get the right image, it can immediately spark all sorts of interests and memories.”

As Angela reflects on her fondness for photography, it brings her back to her journey along the Mekong with Scenic as part of her captivating four-part series, Angela Rippon’s River Cruises, where the Mekong river revealed fantastic photo opportunities.  

“The wonderful thing about both Cambodia and Vietnam in particular was that we were visiting so many local communities on the banks of the river… being able to go to Angkor Wat was just a thrill but, for me always, I think it’s the photographs of the people. Some of my favourite photographs from that trip have been the ones that I took in the markets.”

"There is a saying that a good photograph is worth 1,000 words!"

Speaking to a young Cambodian journalist about the Khmer Rouge regime in the 1970’s bought Angela back to her reporting days and allowed her to see the events through a new lens. The conversation gave her a lasting impression of the sheer resilience and community spirit of the Cambodian people.  

"My view of what was happening in Cambodia was relatively superficial in that it was from a distance – but I gained so much by listening to the reports that came from journalists on the ground."

“I loved speaking to the young journalist because she was learning from the past, but looking to the future – she was saying how important it was to learn from past experiences and create a new country in which people could live harmoniously…”

It’s this deep sense of pride and passion that Angela felt whilst visiting South East Asia which led to an unexpected off camera encounter, taking her and the crew completely by surprise.

“We had this wonderful evening the night before we left Cambodia and went into Vietnam – the Minister for Tourism and his entourage turned up. They had red carpet treatment and even bought their own very special chairs to come on board to say thank you to me, to Scenic, and to the television crew for promoting tourism in their country."

“What was lovely about this trip was rediscovering countries because I was seeing them in an entirely different way – the history of Budapest, the beauty of Vienna, and the joy of going to the 16th century towns along the river – I was able to look at them with fresh eyes.”

Part of her refreshed view of the Danube was thanks to Scenic Amber’s intimate size, creating the perfect base for her to explore the Danube. 

“With a river cruise, the wonderful thing is that you are actually docking right in the heart of the place where you want to explore… you can sit on the Sun Deck or on your balcony and never be bored… the scenery, particularly down the Danube, is just beautiful.”

Angela describes how the experience on board both Scenic Amber and Scenic Spirit was in a class of its own, with “fantastic, personal service”, and food that was “absolutely outstanding”.  She also highlighted how the limited passenger numbers and generous crew-to-guest ratio gave her a feeling of “home from home” whilst exploring these iconic rivers.   

Her time with us has certainly ignited a sense of adventure, as we discuss where she would like to go next. The second part of Angela Rippon’s River Cruises took her along the Danube, a familiar destination to her. She explains how seeing this majestic stretch of river as a tourist, rather than in a professional capacity, gave her a new perspective on the fascinating sites that awaited.

“I would be fascinated to cruise the Ganges – I’ve never managed to get to India and when I look at the map of the world there was that gap I need to fill… I would also love to go down some of the French rivers because it would be like sailing through a wine list. Cycling through the vineyards or even cruising the Seine through Paris would be fun."

As our time with Angela comes to a close, we are left with incredible stories of Angela's impressive career, her passion for photography and her sheer enthusiasm and energy for life and travel. The only question that remains is where will Angela go next? We certainly hope to see her on another Scenic adventure soon.