Anneka Rice Becomes Grandmother to Four, Citing Grandchildren as 'Reason for Life'

Anneka Rice, 68, has announced she is now a grandmother to four children, having welcomed her third and fourth grandchildren within a 10-week span. The television star shared a photograph on Instagram, showing her holding her two newest grandchildren, marking her birthday on Sunday.

'My birthday presents this year came 10 weeks apart. I'd just unwrapped the first one when another package arrived!' Rice captioned the post. 'Now I don't know where to turn…'

Rice is the mother of three sons: Thomas, 37, and Joshua, 36, from her marriage to theatre producer Nick Allott, and Sam, 26, from her relationship with TV executive Tom Gutteridge. Her third grandchild's arrival was announced ten weeks prior, with Rice sharing a photo of herself with her two toddler grandchildren and the newborn.

In a recent interview with The Times, Rice described herself as a 'granny above all,' stating that her grandchildren are her 'absolute reason for life.' She also expressed a desire to be a friend and mentor to others.

Rice stepped away from the spotlight in the mid-nineties after a successful decade hosting shows such as Treasure Hunt and Challenge Anneka. She decided to focus on motherhood after divorce proceedings from Nick Allott began. The decision was influenced by a letter from her ex-husband's lawyer that implied she was not a good mother due to her work. Although she later considered it a misunderstanding, the sentiment prompted her to prioritize her role as a mother, stating she was 'truly content and I enjoyed motherhood.'