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ANNEKA RICE on reviving her hit 1990s series

- HANNAH DAVIES

CHALLENGE ANNEKA 

NEW SATURDAY, 8.50PM, CHANNEL 5 REALITY

Get ready for heart-warming community projects, tense races against the clock and an array of brightly-coloured jumpsuits, as Anneka Rice bursts back on to our screens with a reboot of her classic series Challenge Anneka.

Originally running on BBC1 between 1989 and 1995, with two specials airing on ITV1 in 2006 and 2007, the show followed the presenter and her trusty sidekick, Dave the soundman, as they raced around the UK attempting to complete ambitious tasks in a ridiculously tight time frame.

But now, in Channel 5’s four-part revival, the challenges are bigger and bolder than before, as Anneka enlists hundreds of community helpers to build a new home for abandoned dogs, a giant food bank, a special village for people living with dementia, and an outdoor centre for vulnerable teenagers (see our guide to the projects, right).

Here, Anneka, 64, tells us why she’s thrilled about the show’s return…

How does the reboot compare to the original series? 

Apart from satnav in the famous blue buggy, and our wonderful production team being able to access people online rather than sifting through Yellow Pages, viewers will find it weirdly similar!