Countryfile presenter Anita Rani has recalled a rain-soaked filming trip on a Scottish mountainside that left her unable to stop laughing, with the moment making it into the programme. Speaking exclusively to Reach, publisher of The Mirror, ahead of the new series of Aldi: The Next Big Seller, she reflected on the challenging conditions she has faced while working on the BBC show.
A Soaked Shoot in Dumfries and Galloway
Rani was planting young trees on a mountainside in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, when she and the cameraman became drenched. Despite wearing a snowboarding jacket, she said she was still "squidging" when she arrived home.
Recalling the shoot, she said: "I was in Dumfries and Galloway in Scotland on the side of a mountain planting little seed trees and I looked at the cameraman and there was water dripping off the end of his nose, and I was absolutely soaked, and I had a snowboarding jacket on."
She added: "It must have been right at the beginning of my career as my gear has got better, we were just soaked to the bone and I looked up and just couldn't stop laughing and they kept it in the programme, that journey home I was still squidging when I walked back into my house."
Pride in the Countryfile Team
Despite the wet and cold conditions, Rani described being part of the Countryfile team as a privilege. "It's incredible that I'm still a part of it, it's such a privilege to be part of that team. I absolutely love it," she said.
She also spoke about her connection to the countryside, saying: "I love connecting the dots between urban life and rural life and actually, we are not that divided. I'm lucky because I live in the city and I get to be in the countryside for my job, perfect! It just relaxes you, it calms your nervous system, even in the depths of winter, but I've got electric heated socks because I'm no fool."
Other Projects and Aldi Show
Rani also discussed her other projects, including the second series of her podcast, Sisters of Defiance, which features conversations with women who have challenged societal norms and broken boundaries. She said: "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."
She joins new presenter Jimmy Doherty and Aldi UK's chief commercial officer Julie Ashfield on Channel 4's Aldi: The Next Big Seller, where up-and-coming businesses pitch for a place on the supermarket's shelves, with the winning product appearing as a Specialbuy in more than 1,080 Aldi stores nationwide. Describing the show as an "amazing production to work on", she said: "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 airs weekly on Thursdays at 8pm on Channel 4, starting November 5.
