Britain by Beach and their secret histories

Many of us have been heading to Britain’s beaches recently, and that includes presenter Anita Rani.

However, she’s not just there to get a bit of fresh air or to make the most of the recent heatwaves – she’s on a mission to learn about their secret histories and the role they have played in shaping the nation.

That doesn’t mean it hasn’t been a liberating experience. In an interview with You magazine, Anita revealed that while filming the second series of Britain by Beach, she slipped into her swimming costume – and she was in no rush to get out of it.

The presenter says: “I was in Dover doing an item on Channel swimming and the sun was out. Ordinarily I would have sat there covered up but this time I decided to do the interview in my costume. It was quite a moment.”

She adds: “I’d spent my entire life worried about my body, never getting into bikinis in my 20s and 30s when arguably my body was at its finest. I had this dysmorphia of thinking I didn’t look good enough. We all do it, it’s so distressing. [Women] waste so much time worrying about their bodies when there are much more important things to be thinking about.”

While being on camera in her swimwear may be a new experience for Anita, she’s certainly used to roaming the countryside. As well as hosting the previous series of Britain by Beach, Anita is a familiar face on Countryfile and did a stint as roving reporter on The One Show.

Her varied CV also includes reaching the semi-final on Strictly Coming Dancing and she can currently be heard on Radio 4 as one of the presenters of Woman’s Hour. If you needed further proof that she’s well on her way to becoming a national treasure, the presenter was also part of the BBC’s recent Jubilee coverage.

Now though, Anita is hitting the beaches, learning why they are so much more than just holiday resorts. They are also the places where Britain meets the outside world, and a treasure trove of hidden stories. Her latest adventure begins in Cornwall, which has plenty of beaches to choose from – the county is renowned for its 420 miles of glorious coastline.

She discovers that Porthcurno beach’s golden sands hide a fascinating story of ingenious Victorian engineering, and the remote spot is still central to Britain’s global communications.

Anita then heads to Botallack Mine to learn why the county didn’t just export precious metal, but also its miners, who went on to establish ‘Little Cornwalls’ around the world. As the host finds out, this exodus would have a big impact on the women and children left behind.

Then it’s on to Perranporth for belly boarding and a spot of lobster fishing in Padstow, before she concludes her Cornish journey in the secluded but infamous cove of Polperro. There, Anita learns why a small village became a hotbed for smuggling.