IT'S been nearly 30 years since Challenge Anneka came to an end.
But now Anneka Rice is zipping up her iconic jumpsuit once more as the hit show returns on Channel 5 for a new series.
Challenge Anneka, which ran from 1989 to 1995, cemented the Welsh star's status as one of the biggest names in British television.
In an interview ahead of the reboot, the 64-year-old said: "I decided to upcycle some of my old outfits as I have a wardrobe full of Lycra. So zips, stripes, flashes went on.
"The trouble is we ended up filming in the winter so all hopes of looking glamorous flew out of the window. Most of the time I look like a Teletubby, layer upon layer of thermals!"
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While Anneka's comeback has delighted fans, it hasn't been always been so rosy for the star, who took a big step back from TV after having kids and growing to dislike life in the spotlight.
80s icon
Anneka was one of TV's most in-demand stars in the late 80s, so much so that she landed herself a waxwork at Madame Tussauds and was even voted Rear of the Year by in 1986.
She has risen to fame with Treasure Hunt, one of Channel 4's first big hits, before the BBC offered her her own show with Challenge Anneka in 1989.
A year earlier, Anneka had married theatre boss Nick Allott and had two sons - Thomas, 34, and Joshua, 33.
Despite appearing loved up, the pair decided to go their separate ways in 1992, at the height of Anneka's fame.
Reports began circulating that an affair with Challenge Anneka director Tom Gutteridge, who she went on to have a relationship with, was the cause of their marriage breakdown.
She has denied these reports, however, saying: "I ended up with Tom but he was not the reason my marriage ended."
Unusually, Anneka and Nick didn't actually divorce for 22 years until 2014.
Speaking at the time, she said: "Everyone thinks we’re divorced, but we’re not.
She added: "Most people get divorced because they are always arguing about money.
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“When Nick and I split up, I was the breadwinner; I was paying the school fees. He had a good job so money was never discussed, therefore what is there to argue about?"
Life being 'unfamous'
When Challenge Anneka came to an end in 1995, Anneka took a break from the spotlight to spend more time with her young children.
In a dramatic departure from TV, she even embarked on a three-year course at Chelsea College of Arts.
"I loved travelling by bus, being a student and picking up my sons from school," she said.
"I cut my hair very short and stopped calling myself Anneka, a name I had only used because Equity wouldn’t let me use my real name, Annie. I put Anneka away in one box of my life. I wanted to be unfamous."
In 1997, she had her third child, Sam, with Tom, but they broke up just six months after his birth.
In the early 2000s, she was still being bombarded with offers, including a cookery show where she'd host alongside former Blue Peter star Mark Curry.
When she turned down the idea, her contract with her agent was immediately terminated.
To deal with the influx of offers herself, Anneka came up with the idea of inventing her own agent, called Clemmie Hart.
For over 10 years, all enquiries went to 'Clemmie', who turned them down. The fake agent even became so popular that she was frequently invited to glitzy showbiz parties.
"It was a two-edged sword because part of me did want to go and hang out in a safari lodge with Christopher Biggins, learning how to track lions," Anneka said.
"It kind of killed me to say no but I had small children. Sending emails from Clemmie made me feel part of it still. The requests I was getting were so outlandish. The comedian in me just couldn’t send a reply saying, ‘No, thank you’. I felt it needed banter."
One such reply came when she was invited to take part in Channel 4's The Games. Clemmie replied with: "We’d love to but between you and me, Anneka’s a bit out of shape."
She later decided to retire the Clemmie gimmick when she informed contacts that the agent was pregnant and would be leaving her position.
Finding love and comeback
Anneka went on to find love once more with comedy writer Simon Bell - it's believed that the pair are still together and based in the Isle of Wight.
In the 2010s, she began to slowly make her way back into the limelight, joining Radio 2 to present an early morning weekend show.
She also appeared on Celebrity Mastermind, Hell's Kitchen, Come Dine With Me, and Celebrity Hunted.
In 2019, she took the huge decision to take part in Strictly Come Dancing and even wore a version of her famous jumpsuit for one cheeky number.
Sadly, it wasn't enough to save her becoming the second contestant to be eliminated alongside partner Kevin Clifton.
These days Anneka, who also took up painting during her time away, also makes regular appearances on social media with her son, Sam.
In the first episode of the show's reboot, Anneka and her team went on a heart warming mission to build a home for abandoned dogs in Kent.
They also put up a "memory village for people living with dementia in Wirral and a kitchen for people in need in Stockton.
