It has recently been revealed that Angela Rippon CBE, a television “legend”, is set to perform at Christ Church Cathedral as part of Macmillan Cancer Support’s annual ‘Follow the Stars’ carol service. The carol service will take place on Friday 5 December 2025 at 8 p.m., marking the 29th instalment of this festive concert; the inaugural service took place in 1996, and the event has generated a cumulative £913,151 since then.
According to Macmillan’s dedicated Christmas Instagram Page, joining Rippon for the concert will be other renowned figures such as Juliet Stevenson, Abigail Thaw, and Mel Giedroyc. Macmillan states that 100% of proceeds from the event will go directly towards “improv[ing] the outcome and survival rates of those living with cancer”, and this year the charity aims to raise £80,000 from the night. As a charity that generates 98% of its income from donations, events such as Follow the Stars are critical for fundraising efforts.
Angela Rippon is an “award-winning journalist, TV presenter, newsreader and author” who was one of the leading female journalists during the 1970s, having been the first person to secure an interview with Margaret Thatcher after she became leader of the Conservative Party. Rippon recently appeared on Strictly Come Dancing in 2023, something of a full-circle moment given that Rippon previously hosted ‘Come Dancing’ in the late 1980s. Beyond this upcoming engagement, she has also recently led the ‘Let’s Dance’ campaign, which aims to get the nation dancing, after she saw the “physical, mental, and social benefits” of dancing regularly.
Tickets are available for purchase here, ranging in price from £30 to £130, according to the ‘Tickets Oxford’ web page. The event will be a night of “music, spirit, and community” and will bring together people from all walks of life. The event will also be livestreamed on the JustGiving page for those who cannot attend in person.