Television executive at Channel 5 formally announces cancellation of 80s revival series following a single season, with one unbroadcast episode remaining unscheduled.
In a surprising turn of events, the much-anticipated reboot of the iconic 80s series, Challenge Anneka, has been axed by Channel 5, a year after it was taken off-air. The show, which starred Anneka Rice, returned in 2024 for a four-episode reboot, but was pulled from schedules after just three episodes due to poor ratings.
The series premiere attracted 1.25 million viewers, but viewership declined significantly after competing against Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway and BBC's Starstruck. Despite the initial positive response, the show was cancelled after just two episodes.
Challenge Anneka featured home renovation tasks, with each episode seeing Rice given a two-to-three day deadline for a massive task to help a local community. The first episode focused on helping a struggling dog rescue project at Foal Farm to build new facilities. The second episode focused on the growth of a food hub charity.
The third episode was a "Dementia Special" in partnership with Age UK, where the team built a "memory village" for individuals with dementia. In the final episode, the team was tasked with designing a medal for outstanding achievement and refurbishing the cadets' training facilities, giving their overnight accommodation, training boats, and equipment an overhaul.
However, the final episode of the reboot has not yet aired. The first 13 episodes started on RTL plus on November 8, 2025, and from November 18, 2025, also air daily at 19:05 on Toggo/Super RTL. But no information on the final episode's broadcast date is available yet.
Channel 5's Ben Frow stated that the series won't be revisited due to the world changing and the tasks Anneka was doing being different from current trends. No further information about the future of Challenge Anneka was provided.
Despite the cancellation, Rice's charm was instrumental in securing free labor and donations to complete her mission. The show's cancellation may leave viewers wondering if they will ever get to see the final episode and how the Luton Sea and Royal Marine Cadets' training facilities turned out.
Read also:
- Today's most impactful photographic moments
- Support for Eric Adams in The Post's Letters to the Editor on August 13, 2025
- Roosting Shark and Rambunctious Red Squirrels: Unconventional House Rental in Yorkshire Involving Aquatic Marvel, Squirrely Mayhem, and Mystical Planning Regulations
- Legal Dispute Dismissed with Humor: Supreme Court Laughs off Another Civil Matter Mislabeled as Criminal Prosecution
