Angela Rippon reveals BBC boss told her to quit TV at 50 to ‘make way for younger women’

• Veteran broadcaster Angela Rippon revealed that a BBC Director-General told her to quit TV at age 50 to “make way for younger women”, a comment she labelled 'very misogynistic'.
• Rippon, now 81, stated that John Birt, then Director-General, made the suggestion in the early nineties after she lost several programmes.
• She challenged Birt by asking if he was having similar conversations with older male presenters like Terry Wogan or Michael Parkinson, noting he was not.
• Despite the advice, Rippon continued her career, notably becoming the oldest-ever contestant on Strictly Come Dancing at 79 in 2023.
• The BBC has faced numerous ageism accusations over the years, including a recent settlement with four female news presenters and other cases involving Caryn Franklin and Liz Kershaw.

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Strictly Come Dancing star told by ex BBC boss to quit TV to ‘make way for younger women’