Samira Ahmed
Encyclopedia
Samira Ahmed is a British
freelance journalist, writer and broadcaster at the BBC
, where she has presented Radio 4's
PM
, The World Tonight
and Sunday
. She also presented two Proms
for BBC Four
in 2011. Ahmed's writing has appeared in The Guardian
, The Independent
and on The Spectator
magazine Arts Blog. She was a reporter and presenter on Channel 4 News
from 2000-2011.
and actress. Ahmed was educated at Wimbledon High School
, a girls' independent school
in Wimbledon
, London
, and studied English at St Edmund Hall, Oxford University between 1986 and 1989. During this period she won the Philip Geddes Journalism Prize for her work on student newspapers, and after graduation completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Newspaper Journalism at City University, London
. She recalls that Lucy Mathen
, the first female Asian reporter on BBC television, who worked on John Craven's Newsround
, was an inspirational figure for her, as was broadcaster Shyama Perera, who was working in Fleet Street
at around the same time.
Becoming a BBC news trainee in 1990, Ahmed was a BBC journalist between 1994 to 1997 working as a News correspondent, reporter on Newsnight and the Today programme and as a presenter on BBC World and BBC News 24. Shortly after her marriage, she became the BBC's Los Angeles
correspondent and covered the OJ Simpson trial
, before working as an anchor and political correspondent in Berlin
for Deutsche Welle
TV.
She joined Channel 4 News in April 2000 shortly after having her first child, and became a presenter after having her second child in July 2002. At the end of June 2011 Ahmed left Channel 4, and went freelance.
In 2009 she won Broadcaster of the Year at the annual Stonewall Awards
. She won the BBC's Celebrity Mastermind
, her specialist round was on Laura Ingalls Wilder
, in December 2010.
She combines reporting and presenting, working in her passion for old movies, whenever she can.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
freelance journalist, writer and broadcaster at the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, where she has presented Radio 4's
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...
PM
PM (Radio 4)
PM, sometimes referred to as the PM programme to avoid ambiguity, is BBC Radio 4's long-running early evening news and current affairs programme.-Broadcast times:...
, The World Tonight
The World Tonight
The World Tonight is a British current affairs radio programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4, every weekday evening, which started out as an extension of the 10pm news. It features news, analysis and comment on domestic and world issues...
and Sunday
Sunday (radio programme)
Sunday is a radio programme broadcast on BBC Radio Four at Sunday, normally from around 7:10 a.m. to shortly before 8 a.m. It features discussions of religious topics, including religious stories that have been recent news...
. She also presented two Proms
The Proms
The Proms, more formally known as The BBC Proms, or The Henry Wood Promenade Concerts presented by the BBC, is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hall in London...
for BBC Four
BBC Four
BBC Four is a British television network operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation and available to digital television viewers on Freeview, IPTV, satellite and cable....
in 2011. Ahmed's writing has appeared in The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
and on The Spectator
The Spectator
The Spectator is a weekly British magazine first published on 6 July 1828. It is currently owned by David and Frederick Barclay, who also owns The Daily Telegraph. Its principal subject areas are politics and culture...
magazine Arts Blog. She was a reporter and presenter on Channel 4 News
Channel 4 News
Channel 4 News is the news division of British television broadcaster Channel 4. It is produced by ITN, and has been in operation since the broadcaster's launch in 1982.-Channel 4 News:...
from 2000-2011.
Biography
Ahmed's mother Lalita (née Chatterjee, b. 1939) was a freelance broadcaster for the Hindi service of the BBC World ServiceBBC World Service
The BBC World Service is the world's largest international broadcaster, broadcasting in 27 languages to many parts of the world via analogue and digital shortwave, internet streaming and podcasting, satellite, FM and MW relays...
and actress. Ahmed was educated at Wimbledon High School
Wimbledon High School
.Wimbledon High School is an independent girls' school in Wimbledon, South West London. It is run by the Girls' Day School Trust and celebrated its 130th birthday on November 9 2010, having been founded by Edith Hastings in 1880. WHS educates girls between the ages of 4 and 18.The motto is "Ex...
, a girls' independent school
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
in Wimbledon
Wimbledon, London
Wimbledon is a district in the south west area of London, England, located south of Wandsworth, and east of Kingston upon Thames. It is situated within Greater London. It is home to the Wimbledon Tennis Championships and New Wimbledon Theatre, and contains Wimbledon Common, one of the largest areas...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and studied English at St Edmund Hall, Oxford University between 1986 and 1989. During this period she won the Philip Geddes Journalism Prize for her work on student newspapers, and after graduation completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Newspaper Journalism at City University, London
City University, London
City University London , is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom. It was founded in 1894 as the Northampton Institute and became a university in 1966, when it adopted its present name....
. She recalls that Lucy Mathen
Lucy Mathen
Lucy Mathen is an Indian-born British ophthalmologist and former journalist. Having initially worked for the BBC, she retrained as a doctor and launched Second Sight – a non-profit organisation aimed at curing cataract blindness in India....
, the first female Asian reporter on BBC television, who worked on John Craven's Newsround
Newsround
Newsround is a BBC children's news programme, which has run continuously since 4 April 1972, and was one of the world's first television news magazines aimed specifically at children...
, was an inspirational figure for her, as was broadcaster Shyama Perera, who was working in Fleet Street
Fleet Street
Fleet Street is a street in central London, United Kingdom, named after the River Fleet, a stream that now flows underground. It was the home of the British press until the 1980s...
at around the same time.
Becoming a BBC news trainee in 1990, Ahmed was a BBC journalist between 1994 to 1997 working as a News correspondent, reporter on Newsnight and the Today programme and as a presenter on BBC World and BBC News 24. Shortly after her marriage, she became the BBC's Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
correspondent and covered the OJ Simpson trial
O. J. Simpson murder case
The O. J. Simpson murder case was a criminal trial held in Los Angeles County, California Superior Court from January 29 to October 3, 1995. Former American football star and actor O. J...
, before working as an anchor and political correspondent in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
for Deutsche Welle
Deutsche Welle
Deutsche Welle or DW, is Germany's international broadcaster. The service is aimed at the overseas market. It broadcasts news and information on shortwave, Internet and satellite radio on 98.7 DZFE in 30 languages . It has a satellite television service , that is available in four languages, and...
TV.
She joined Channel 4 News in April 2000 shortly after having her first child, and became a presenter after having her second child in July 2002. At the end of June 2011 Ahmed left Channel 4, and went freelance.
In 2009 she won Broadcaster of the Year at the annual Stonewall Awards
Stonewall Awards
The Stonewall Awards is an annual event to celebrate people who have had a positive impact on the lives of British LGBT people. The event was first held in 2006 at the Royal Academy of Arts and from 2007 were held at the Victoria and Albert Museum.-2006:...
. She won the BBC's Celebrity Mastermind
Celebrity Mastermind
Celebrity Mastermind is a British television quiz show broadcast by BBC television. The show is a spin-off of the long running quiz show Mastermind, with the exception that all the contestants are celebrities. As with the main show, John Humphrys is the host and question-master...
, her specialist round was on Laura Ingalls Wilder
Laura Ingalls Wilder
Laura Elizabeth Ingalls Wilder was an American author who wrote the Little House series of books based on her childhood in a pioneer family...
, in December 2010.
She combines reporting and presenting, working in her passion for old movies, whenever she can.