Anneka Rice and Helen Atkinson Wood, Life Force at Burgh House

Anneka Rice and Helen Atkinson-Wood met in blue jumpsuits on a skit of Rice's show Challenge Anneka, and discovered they had much in common - including a shared passion for art.

Now they are teaming up for joint exhibition Life Force at Burgh House, showing Atkinson-Wood's watercolours and prints, and Rice's life drawings.

Islington presenter and actor Atkinson-Wood recalls she was parodying Rice's against-the-clock style on comedy show KYTV when "of course the real Anneka ran around the corner."

"That was was when we first met. Some years later she was a guest on a programme I presented called Private Lives. We did some painting together on the Thames. She is a woman of many parts and it became apparent we had many things in common.

"We are such great friends, it seemed a fun idea to do something together. We called it Life Force by way of presenting our collective positive energy."

While studying fine art at The Ruskin School of Art, Akinson Wood performed with the Oxford University's drama society. Acting with Rowan Atkinson, and taking a show to Edinburgh with Ben Elton led to her abandoning art for acting.

"I was caught in the slipstream of this dazzling talent, it was fantastic fun, I met so many people that became influential in my career," she recalls. "Richard Curtis wrote the part of Mrs Miggins in Blackadder III for me."

While appearing on Celebrity Watercolour Challenge, she realised she had missed "the thrill of mixing paints". Her work captures the landscape near the second home on the Suffolk coast that she shares with W1A and Twenty Twelve screenwriter John Morton.Lodge Road, Walberswick Suffolk (Image: Helen Atkinson-Wood)

Atkinson-Wood's practice has recently expanded to include etching, wood and linocuts.

"I love the great outdoors, painting the Suffolk landscape en plein air. I love the still silence of being out in nature," she says. When I am drawing or painting it's a magical process that just flows."

Rice's career started in broadcast journalism and has ranged from Channel 4's Treasure Hunt, to Wish You Were Here and TVAM. She took a break to take a two year course at Chelsea College of Arts and attends regular life drawing classes. Now 30 years on from the original, she's back in a jumpsuit and remaking Challenge Anneka for Channel 5.

Broadcast later this year, the show sees Rice and Dave the Soundman in her trusty buggy tackling epic challenges for everyday heroes and communities with a team of volunteers. Challenge Anneka returns after 30 years with a new Channel 5 show (Image: Channel 5/Paramount)

The 64-year-old said:  “The last few years have shown us all the power of community and how it’s good to be part of something bigger than ourselves. Dave the Soundman and I may have 130 years between us but the whole team is as motivated as ever to make a difference and shine a spotlight on people and organisations who need help." 

Life Force runs in the Peggy Jay Gallery, Burgh House, Hampstead from February 15-19. https://www.burghhouse.org.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/life-force-