Countryfile presenter Anita Rani has shared advice for the 2026 Strictly Come Dancing contestants and revealed details about several of her latest projects, including a new series of Channel 4's Aldi: The Next Big Seller and the second series of her podcast Sisters of Defiance.
Strictly Memories and Advice
Anita took part in Strictly Come Dancing in 2015, reaching the semi-final with her partner Gleb Savchenko. Even a decade later, she admitted "it's so nerve wracking," as she offered advice to the 2026 contestants. "It's nerve-wracking because it's live and anything can happen," she shared. "But also because they amount of work you put in."
"My advice would be the only thing that really matters is those 90 seconds, so give it your all. When the music starts, just enjoy yourself, everything else is irrelevant. It's easy for me to say that, but once you come out the other end and look back, it's just those dances you did, that's what you will be the most proud of."
"Just the music makes me feel queasy just thinking about it, it's the most intense feeling, but also the elation afterwards is just incredible. The other bit of advice is don't worry about the mistakes, like in the moment if you make a little mistake it's all you can fixate on sometimes, but nobody knows, people don't know your mistakes."
Podcast and New Ventures
The star also discussed a second series of her podcast, Sisters of Defiance, which showcases frank and unfiltered discussions with remarkable women who have defied societal norms, broken boundaries, embraced risks, and transformed culture. Series two has recently launched, and Anita commented: "We have amazing guests for the line-up of phenomenal women who talk to me about their life through their acts of defiance, the times when they have been rebellious and not lived by the rules."
"The women who have become the heroes of their own stories and that's my big passion, it's what women need don't we? To hear incredible stories and feel we are, sort of, seen."
Aldi: The Next Big Seller
Regarding her latest project, Aldi: The Next Big Seller, Anita will assist in selecting two finalists who are allocated several weeks to incorporate any suggestions about their products. The victor's creation will feature as a Specialbuy across more than 1,080 Aldi stores throughout the country.
Discussing the enjoyment she experienced during filming, she described the series as an "amazing production to work on," noting: "There's a lot of good food lying around, so I always like to take a goodie bag home with me if there's any left as the production gets to eat it all. There are a couple of things in this series that are hands down my favourite things I have ever eaten."
"It's just a really great programme to work on. It's joyful, it's food, it's entertaining, people are going to really enjoy the competition element, but also, there is a lot of heart because it's people and it's passion."
Aldi: The Next Big Seller broadcasts weekly on Thursdays at 8pm on Channel 4, commencing 5 November.
