Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Katie Wilson

Anneka Rice dons hard hat to film Challenge Anneka reboot 27 years after hit show ended

Anneka Rice donned a hard hat and orange coat as she filmed the reboot for her hit show Challenge Anneka - 27 years after it ended.

The 63-year-old TV presenter wore black jeans and black knee high boots, which she paired with a utility belt, as the team shot a segment at a building site.

Later on she was spotted jumping into her famous blue buggy car as she whizzed around Stockton-on-Tees in Teesside.

Her team were up north to help transform an old community centre on a rundown instate into a food bank.

But fans will have to wait until next year to watch the new series of Challenge Anneka when it airs on Channel 5.

Anneka was pictured back in her famous blue buggy (Terry Blackburn/BACKGRID)

Get all the biggest showbiz news straight to your inbox. Sign up for the free Mirror Showbiz newsletter.

The programme, which sees Anneka pull up with a team of helpers to benefit everyday heroes and communities up and down the country, was previously on BBC1.

It ran for seven series from 1989 to 1995, and Anneka helped pave the way for female TV presenters of the future.

While the buggy is back – and so is ‘Dave the Soundman’ – it remains to be seen whether she will wear her trademark jumpsuits again.

Writing for The Mirror when the reboot was announced, Anneka said the programme “never left my heart”.

She shared: “I’m still involved with many of the challenges and the dozens of volunteers who keep the projects going. And this year many of those projects are celebrating their 30th anniversaries.

“The entire production team have all stayed in touch, which is testament to the emotional tug of that series - we always talk about how it was the best time of our lives.”

Challenge Anneka is coming back to TV screens in 2023 (Terry Blackburn/BACKGRID)

Like she flew the flag for female presenters decades ago, Anneka is determined to challenge stereotypes again now she is in her 60s.

Speaking about Treasure Hunt, the forerunner to Challenge Anneka, she said: “It put a woman absolutely in control right in the centre of the action driving the narrative.

“It really changed the face of TV and in a lot of ways, I want to sort of fly the flag for women today.”

She explained: “40 years ago, you have to remember where women were placed in television. They were usually draped over cars or as a prize on a quiz game, or they behind a news desk.

“I feel just the same as they did 30 years ago, but possibly there’s more conversation about how we look, or about how we might be coping with it. Whereas for men, they just get on and do it and their image and brand stays intact.”

Anneka as a trailblazing presenter back in the Nineties (Mirrorpix)

Speaking about her excitement for the new series, Anneka added: “Much has moved on in 30 years.

"Attitudes to disability, mental health and the disenfranchised have changed but, fundamentally, the issues are still the same – they’re about human struggle.

“I can’t wait to start filming our new series. If you see a mad blonde woman staggering out of a buggy, it will be me!

“Why not grab your tool belt and come and join the circus? It might just change your life too.”

Do you have a story to sell? Get in touch with us at webcelebs@trinitymirror.com or call us direct 0207 29 33033

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.