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Carol Vorderman joins celebrity cast at this year's Air Tattoo

Carol Vorderman at the UK premiere of Top Gun: Maverick at the Odeon Leicester Square. Picture: PA
Carol Vorderman at the UK premiere of Top Gun: Maverick at the Odeon Leicester Square. Picture: PA

Former Countdown star Carol Vorderman was back at RAF Fairford today for this year's Royal International Air Tattoo.

The famous TV presenter joined other celebrities such as Tom Cruise and astronaut Tim Peake to enjoy the exciting displays at the military airshow.

The 61-year-old is a keen flyer and she regularly attends the military airshow. She has been seen with famous astronaut Peake at previous shows.

Today, Peake took to the skies in a Gazelle helicopter as he flew around the RIAT site.

Swindon Advertiser: Tim Peake in a Gazelle helicopter. Image: Royal International Air Tattoo
Swindon Advertiser: Tim Peake in a Gazelle helicopter. Image: Royal International Air Tattoo

Tim Peake in a Gazelle helicopter. Image: Royal International Air Tattoo

Vorderman remained on the ground and shared updates from her day on social media today.

"First in. It's going to be a glorious, glorious day," she said, as she showed followers the runway set-up.

She tweeted: "Early at the RIAT with one of my besties, our Royal Air Force first woman fighter pilot Jo Salter.....and so it begins. It's glorious here today. We have astronauts and aerobatics and displays and it's EXTRAORDINARY."

 

Last week, she posted a video of her time as an ambassador for the Royal Air Cadets in 2016 and expressed excitement about this year's RIAT.

Vorderman has been vocal about her dreams to become a fighter pilot when she was growing up. Ahead of the Top Gun premiere she wrote on Instagram: "The ONLY thing I ever wanted to be growing up and probably since...is a fighter pilot.

"I was born 20 years too early, they didn't take women pilots in the military in my day but I got my licences in my 50s which closed a happy circle.

"[I] have spent many a happy hour in my flying suits and survival suits thousands of feet above the earth."

She told OK!: "Flying is a passion. It's like having a lover – you completely want to be with that lover because it's so fantastic.

"Flying has given me this whole new group of friends, and we all share the same lover, if that's not too weird."

The maths whiz had big plans to fly around the world by herself but she cancelled her trip after her mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer.

She flew her first solo on This Morning back in 2013 and secured her pilot licence after an intensive course in 2014.