Anneka Rice

Anne Lucinda Hartley Rice (born 4 October 1958), known professionally as Anneka Rice, is a British television and radio presenter, journalist and painter.

She began her broadcasting career with the BBC World Service and later moved to children's TV. Rice is best known for her role as the "skyrunner" on Channel 4's Treasure Hunt and her self-devised show Challenge Anneka. She took a sabbatical in 1995 to focus on raising her family and studied at Chelsea College of Art. Rice later returned to television and radio, hosting various shows, including Secrets of the National Trust for Channel 5 and BBC Radio 2's weekend breakfast show. In 2023, she relaunched Challenge Anneka on Channel 5 however after surprisingly low viewing figures, the revival was axed in August 2025.

Rice was born in Cowbridge, Glamorgan, Wales and grew up in Surrey, England. She was educated at three independent schools: Dunrobin School and St Michael's – both at Limpsfield, Surrey – and Croydon High School. Rice adopted the name "Anneka" when she joined the British actors' union Equity, as an Annie Rice had already been registered.

Rice began her broadcasting career as a trainee for the BBC World Service, working on The World Today and Twenty-Four Hours. She then moved to BBC children's TV, where she worked for Monica Sims and as a production assistant on Lucky Numbers. At 19, she moved to Hong Kong, where she worked as a news sub-editor for TVB Pearl, the English-language TV station. She later became the regular evening news-reader. She also produced Wheelbase, a weekly drive-time radio show, for RTHK and worked as an account executive for PR company Corporate Communications. She published a book called A Children's Guide to Hong Kong. She dubbed kung fu films into English for Run Run Shaw late into the night and was a fittings model for Gloria Vanderbilt jeans during her lunch hours.

In 1982 she returned to the UK and worked as a reporter on CBTV for Thames Television. She then landed her first high-profile job, as the jump-suited "skyrunner" of Channel 4's Treasure Hunt, co-hosted by former BBC newsman Kenneth Kendall. The show remains one of Channel 4's highest-rated programmes ever, regularly getting over 7 million viewers. It was nominated for a BAFTA in 1986.

Rice hosted the BBC's Children in Need appeal in 1987 and tested an early version of her next project, Challenge Anneka. This had been devised by Rice herself and was launched in 1989 on BBC1. It ran for six series. Projects included the renovation of a Romanian orphanage in Siret, equipping a Malawi refugee camp, and over 60 UK projects, most of which are still going strong.

As the owner of the rights to Challenge Anneka, Rice remained involved with the format as it was sold to other European territories, which produced their own versions. in 2001 she co-produced an American version with ABC called Challenge America with Erin Brockovich: The Miracle in Manhattan, hosted by Erin Brockovich, a post-9/11 project to rebuild an amphitheater and soccer field in New York City.

Through the 1980s and 1990s Rice presented Wish You Were Here...? for ITV. Taking over as main presenter on BBC1's Holiday in 1999, she travelled to over 50 countries. She was a regular part-time presenter on TVAM with Nick Ross, hosting one week a month, and also hosted Sporting Chance on BBC2, inviting celebrities to take up a new sport. She took part in BBC's Driving Force, teaming up with rally-cross driver Barry Lee to win the otherwise all-male competition in races driving Chieftain tanks, off-road cars, trucks and JCB diggers.