Television icon Angela Rippon has disclosed details of two horrific muggings she endured in London, revealing thieves threatened to "break my fingers" if she didn't surrender her jewellery. She stated she'd been "kicked in the head" and curled up on the floor during the assault.

The former BBC newsreader and Strictly Come Dancing star, 81, appeared on Vanessa Feltz's Channel 5 programme during a conversation about whether it's dangerous to confront a thief, discussing the incidents which occurred between 2000 and 2001.

She stated: "I've been mugged on two occasions in London and on both of them it was me and there were two men. Now, I mean I did fight back, I didn't have an opportunity to the first time at all. 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 because it was so public, on a public pavement, that people would stop and help me.

"They tend to get their cameras out, their phones out, and film it isn't, don't they, rather actually than joining in as they're probably afraid that they may get mugged themselves."

She informed Vanessa: "They wanted my handbag, and because I was curled, and 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 [released] and let them take my handbag.

"Then got up and chased them in the hope that somebody might stick a foot out and stop them from running away. But they were like a pair of young gazelles and I was in heels and you know there was no contest really."

"Then the second time that I was mugged again, there were two men and 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.

"I mean there is a point where you have to say, 'They're possessions, what is the point?' I mean, the one thing I lost was a sentimental ring that had been given to me by an aunt on my 21st birthday, it had very little value at all if any.

"And I really, I angst more over that than I did over the loss of my watch or my diamond earrings which I had at the time, but there is a point I think, when you are on the receiving end of that kind of attack, that you have to say, actually, they are possessions, just take what you want.

Angela concluded: "Because you never know whether or not someone actually has a knife and when they are bigger and when they're 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."

Supporters were deeply moved by Angela's candid television interview.

One wrote: "Bless you Angela, you are and have always been a 'hero' for me. I'm so sad that you experienced this horrendous experience."

Another wrote: "How awful for somebody to go through this frightening experience What a sad world we live in now."