Anneka Rice facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Anneka Rice
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Rice in 2013
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Anne Lucinda Hartley Rice
4 October 1958 Cowbridge, Vale of Glamorgan, Wales, United Kingdom
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| Occupation | Television presenter |
| Years active | 1980–1995 2001–present |
Anneka Rice (born 4 October 1958) is a famous British television and radio presenter. She is also a journalist and a painter.
Anneka started her career at the BBC World Service. She then moved into children's TV. Many people know her as the "skyrunner" from the Channel 4 show Treasure Hunt. She also created her own popular show called Challenge Anneka.
In 1995, Anneka took a break to spend time with her family. During this time, she studied art at Chelsea College of Art. Later, she returned to TV and radio. She hosted shows like Secrets of the National Trust and a weekend breakfast show on BBC Radio 2. In 2023, her show Challenge Anneka came back on Channel 5.
Contents
Early Life and School Days
Anneka Rice was born in Cowbridge, Glamorgan, Wales. She grew up in Surrey, England. She went to three private schools: Dunrobin School, St Michael's, and Croydon High School.
When Anneka joined the British actors' union, Equity, she chose the name "Anneka." This was because another "Annie Rice" was already registered.
Anneka's Career Journey
Starting in Television
Anneka began her TV journey as a trainee for the BBC World Service. She worked on news programmes like The World Today. Later, she moved to BBC children's TV.
When she was 19, Anneka moved to Hong Kong. There, she worked as a news editor for TVB Pearl, an English TV station. She also became a regular news-reader. She even produced a radio show called Wheelbase. Anneka also wrote a book called A Children's Guide to Hong Kong. She even helped dub kung fu films into English!
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In 1982, Anneka came back to the UK. She became a reporter for CBTV on Thames Television. Her big break came when she became the "skyrunner" on Channel 4's Treasure Hunt. In this show, she wore a special jumpsuit and flew around in a helicopter. She helped solve clues to find hidden treasures. The show was very popular, with over 7 million viewers. It was even nominated for a BAFTA award.
Challenge Anneka and More
In 1987, Anneka hosted the BBC's Children in Need appeal. Here, she tested an early idea for her next show, Challenge Anneka. This show, which Anneka created herself, started in 1989 on BBC1. It ran for six series.
On Challenge Anneka, Anneka and her team would complete huge projects in a short time. These projects often helped communities. For example, they renovated an orphanage in Romania. They also helped equip a refugee camp in Malawi. Over 60 projects were completed in the UK, and many are still helping people today.
Anneka owned the rights to Challenge Anneka. This meant she stayed involved as the show was sold to other countries. In 2001, she helped create an American version called Challenge America. This show helped rebuild a theatre and soccer field in New York City after the 9/11 attacks.
During the 1980s and 1990s, Anneka presented many other shows. She hosted Wish You Were Here...? for ITV. She also became the main presenter for BBC1's Holiday, travelling to over 50 countries. She was a regular presenter on TVAM with Nick Ross.
Anneka also took part in BBC's Driving Force. In this show, she teamed up with a rally driver. They won competitions driving Chieftain tanks, off-road cars, and even JCB diggers! She co-presented Combat for ITV. This show saw different British military groups compete against each other.
She hosted Capital Woman, a weekly women's show. She also hosted Passport, where contestants travelled the world to compete in local activities. Anneka also hosted the Children's Royal Variety Show. Her fame led to Madame Tussaud's making a waxwork of her in her famous jumpsuit. She even had a puppet made of her for the show Spitting Image.
In 1995, Anneka took a break to raise her young family. She studied at Chelsea College of Art for two years. She has been painting ever since.
Returning to Television
In the 2000s, Anneka returned to TV. She was a regular on The Wright Stuff. She also hosted the Channel 5 series Dinner Doctors. In 2006, Challenge Anneka returned for two special episodes. One project helped with post-tsunami relief in Sri Lanka. The second project raised money for a children's hospice.
In 2006, she co-hosted the ITV cookery show Sunday Feast. She also took part in Extinct, a show about endangered animals. Anneka travelled to the North Pole to track polar bears by helicopter.
In September 2007, she appeared on Hell's Kitchen. She was also a contestant on Celebrity Mastermind in 2010. In 2012, she co-hosted Rolf Paints... Diamond Jubilee for Queen Elizabeth II's jubilee. She also presented The Flowerpot Gang on BBC 1. In 2016, she was a presenter on Secrets of the National Trust for Channel 5.
In 2017, Anneka appeared on Richard Osman's House of Games. She also took part in Channel 4's Celebrity Hunted to raise money for charity.
In 2019, she was on Celebrity Antiques Road Trip. She also competed in Kirstie Allsopp's Celebrity Craft Masters. A big highlight was her time as a contestant on BBC 1's Strictly Come Dancing. She was partnered with Kevin Clifton. She also appeared on Bake Off and Children in Need in 2019.
In 2020, she took part in Joe Lycett's Got Your Back. She also ran for BBC 1's Sport Relief with her Radio 2 colleagues.
In 2023, her popular 1990s show Challenge Anneka made a comeback on Channel 5.
Radio Career
Anneka's radio career began at the BBC World Service. She worked on news programmes like The World Today. In Hong Kong, she produced a weekly drive-time show for RTHK.
In the 1980s in the UK, she often filled in for other presenters on Radio 2. She also presented The Waiting Game for Radio 4, a series about pregnancy. She was a regular guest on Loose Ends.
In 2012, Anneka became the host of the Weekend Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 2. She hosted this show for five years. Later, she took over the late-night Saturday slot, presenting Pick of Radio 2. She has also presented specials for Friday Night is Music Night. Since 2017, she has presented Junior Choice on Christmas Day morning.
In 2017, she wrote and presented a two-hour Christmas special about Ronnie Wood's art and music. In 2020, she presented Anneka's 80s TV Treasure Hunt for Radio 2.
Other Interests and Activities
Anneka was involved with the 1999 Cricket World Cup. She helped promote the event to encourage more people, especially women, to get into cricket.
In the 1980s, she had her own range of sports clothes and jumpsuits. These were made with the clothing chain, DASH.
She also presented the Adventure Series. These films taught viewers how to scuba-dive, ski, and sail. Books were also released with the series. There have been various Treasure Hunt and Challenge Anneka annuals and board games.
Painting
Anneka studied art at Chelsea College of Art. She is now part of Maggi Hambling's Master Class. She regularly shows her artwork in exhibitions.
Journalism
Anneka was the weekend TV critic for the Mail on Sunday in the mid-2000s. Since 2004, she has also been a travel writer for them. She had a column for The Radio Times in 2019. Now, she writes an occasional column for The Independent. In 2013, she returned to Siret to write about the orphans from her original Challenge Anneka programme.
Theatre and Performance
Anneka performed in pantomimes in the 1980s. She appeared in shows at the Manchester Palace and the Richmond Theatre, among others.
In 2015, she gave a piano recital at a Christmas Gala. She had not played since she was a child, so she spent five months re-learning. She also sang with The Great Western Choir at the Big Chill Festival in 2009.
Stand-up Comedy
Anneka writes and performs stand-up comedy at the Backyard Comedy Club in Bethnal Green. Her shows include The Clemmie Hart Years (about a secret fictional agent) and Help! My Head's in Wookey Hole (about finding her missing Madame Tussaud's waxwork). Both shows were recorded for Radio 4.
Chelsea Flower Show
In 2017, Anneka had a garden at the Chelsea Flower Show. She designed it with Sarah Raven and Tricia Guild. It was part of a BBC display of gardens.
Personal Life
Anneka Rice married theatre boss Nick Allott in 1988. They have two sons together. She also has another son with TV executive Tom Gutteridge, born in 1997.
Television Shows
- CBTV Channel 14 (1982–85)
- Treasure Hunt (1982–89)
- Driving Force (1984)
- Wish You Were Here...? (presenter)
- Good Morning Britain (presenter)
- Aspel & Company (guest – March 1986)
- The Grand Knockout Tournament (participant, 1987)
- Challenge Anneka (presenter 1989–95, 2006/7, 2023) nominated for two technical BAFTAs in 1991
- KYTV (guest – June 1990)
- 2point4 Children (guest appearance – September 1992)
- So Graham Norton (guest appearance – February 2001)
- I Love 1980s (guest appearance – March 2001)
- Ready, Steady, Cook (guest – June 2001)
- A Question of TV (guest appearances – August 2001)
- Remotely Funny (guest – July 2002)
- RI:SE (breakfast show guest, February 2003)
- Dinner Doctors (presenter)
- Richard & Judy (June 2003)
- Absolute Power (November 2003)
- Hell's Kitchen (May 2004)
- QI (aka Quite Interesting) (November 2004)
- Have I Been Here Before? (May 2005)
- Our Survey Says: the Ultimate Game Show Moments
- The Big Call (guest – June 2005)
- The Wright Stuff (guest panellist – September 2005)
- Holiday (presenter)
- Passport
- Sporting Chance
- Driving Force
- Capital Woman
- Combat
- Come Dine with Me (Celebrity Special – July 2006)
- Hell's Kitchen (Contestant – September 2007)
- Heads or Tails on Five (special guest 2009)
- Celebrity Mastermind, BBC1, contestant, 1 January 2010
- Countdown, Channel 4, 'Dictionary Corner' guest, 3–7 October 2011
- Countdown, Channel 4, 'Dictionary Corner' guest, 2–6 April 2012
- Rolf Paints....Diamond Jubilee, BBC1 (co-host), 5 June 2012
- Flowerpot Gang, BBC1, co-host, August 2012
- Richard Osman's House of Games, contestant, 4–8 September 2017
- Celebrity Hunted – SU2C special, 10–24 October 2017
- Strictly Come Dancing - contestant, September 2019; eliminated after performing the Charleston in week three
- Countdown, guest (2019)
- Kirsty Alsopp's Celebrity Craft Masters (2019)
- Sky Arts Celebrity Portrait of the Year (2019)
- Joe Lycett's Got Your Back (2020)
- The Weakest Link (2022)
- Challenge Anneka (2023)
See also
In Spanish: Anneka Rice para niños
