"We Change People's Lives"

Anneka Rice on the magic of Challenge Anneka and recalls how her children grew up on set...

Nearly 30 years after her neon jumpsuit days, Anneka Rice has dug out the Lycra to host a revival of Challenge Anneka, the feelgood series that turned he into a household name in the 1990s. After making her name as an action woman in Treasure Hunt (1982-89), Anneka hosted Challenge Anneka from 1989-95, wrangling a force of volunteers to help build a charity project in just four days.

"I have a wardrobe full of Lycra, so I decided to upcycle some of my old outfits," explains Anneka (64), displaying all the glamour and zest of her younger years. Along with original team member Dave the Soundman, who follows Anneka with a microphone, the Channel 5 revival has seen the volunteers build a village for dementia sufferers in the Wirral, fix up a leaky clubhouse for Sea Scouts in Luton, erect a new kitchen for a Stockton food charity, and renovate dog kennels for a Kent-based charity that rescues traumatized canines.

Anneka admits she was hesitant about returning to the popular format.

"We were very nervous about trying to do Challenge in a recession. Added to that it was winter and it got dark at  4pm. It made each project incredibly complex.