“Being Outdoors Is What Keeps Me Sane!”

Anita Rani, 40, talks to Nathalie Whittle about royal connections, long-distance marriage and the bits you don’t see on Countryfile…

If you’ve ever been one of the six million viewers who tune in to BBC One’s Countryfile on a Sunday night, you’ll be familiar with Anita Rani’s eternally sunny persona – whether she’s caught in a downpour halfway up a mountain, fleeing from animals gone rogue – or stuck in a heap of cow dung. And when she arrives at our cover shoot, she’s no different. “woman&home cover girl?” she beams as she sits down to chat. “This is a really exciting moment for me!”

Anita’s career began as a researcher for the BBC, before her first big break came presenting Channel Five’s entertainment show, The Edit, in 2002. Since then, she’s co-presented BBC One’s Watchdog, become a core member of the Countryfile team, danced her way to the semi-finals of Strictly Come Dancing, and most recently, secured a coveted spot in the presenting line-up for the Royal wedding. And now, with Countryfile celebrating its 30th anniversary this month, she’s in the spotlight once again – and we’ve a feeling she’s going to stay there.

I’ll never forget the moment my first episode of Countryfile aired. It was a Sunday night and I was at an event commemorating the Commonwealth in Scotland when my phone suddenly started going crazy. I was getting tweet after tweet from people who had tuned in and were watching me blow up a chalk mine in Cornwall (yes, really!). It wasn’t until that moment that it dawned on me that this is no ordinary programme – it’s massive!