Anjali Rao

For the Indian actress, see Anjali Rao (actress).

Anjali Rao
Rao in 2021
Born (1974-04-08) 8 April 1974 (age 50)[1]
British Hong Kong
NationalityAustralian
OccupationJournalist
Children1

Anjali Rao (born 8 April 1974) is an Australian global television news anchor and broadcast journalist. She starred on season 5 of The Real Housewives of Melbourne.

Rao has spent over 25 years in television journalism, as an anchor and correspondent for CNN International, Sky News UK, Channel 5 UK as well as hosting The Project and Studio 10 on Australia's Network 10 and for several years on SBS One public affairs program Dateline.[2] She has also been host of the nightly news, current affairs and entertainment programme, The Anj, Rob and Robbo Show.

Early life

Born in Hong Kong, Anjali Rao was educated mainly in England at Cobham Hall School, Kent, and King's School, Canterbury, followed by the City University, London, where she earned a bachelor's degree with Honours in Sociology and Media Studies.[3] Her father was an Indian doctor, Dr Prithvi Raj Rao, from Bangalore, although born in Burma. He died suddenly at the age of 55, when she was almost five years old. Her mother, Cynthia Lockeyear, is from Bendigo, Victoria, Australia, and now lives in the UK.[4]

Career

Prior to joining CNN, Rao worked as a producer and reporter at Hong Kong's Wharf Cable Television and at the Seven Network in Melbourne, Australia. She went on to the principal news anchor role at Star TV where she won the top prize at the 2004 Amnesty International Human Rights Press Awards.[3] In 2009, she was named Best Current Affairs Presenter at the Asian Television Awards while anchoring at CNN. Anjali has also been the recipient of a number of other prestigious awards, including a Peabody Award.

Rao is best known in the United Kingdom as a presenter for Sky News and Channel 5 news.[5]

Rao was an anchor for CNN International, from January 2006 until her resignation in August 2012. She presented CNN's breakfast show live to the world from the television network's Asia news headquarters in Hong Kong. She also fronted CNN's flagship celebrity chat show TalkAsia, interviewing household names such as U.S President Bill Clinton, the Dalai Lama, Kobe Bryant, Kanye West, Jay-Z, Karl Lagerfeld, Rihanna, Kevin Spacey, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Roger Federer among many others.[3]

Rao was featured on season 5 of The Real Housewives of Melbourne.[6][7] On 21 November 2021, Rao quit the series.

On 30 November 2022, it was announced that Rao was cast on Australian Survivor: Heroes V Villains, being placed on the Villains tribe.[8]

References

  1. ^ Guss, Shannon; Bloom, Mike (2 February 2023). "Week 1 (Eps 1-3) Exit Interviews". Rob Has a Podcast. Rob Has A Website. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  2. ^ O'Dwyer, Erin (18 May 2014). "Change of Heart-20140513-387np.html". The Age. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
  3. ^ a b c "Anjali Rao". Anchors & reporters. CNN. Archived from the original on 1 July 2011. Retrieved 14 January 2011.
  4. ^ "News | Anjali Rao's date with destiny". Northernweekly.com.au. 15 August 2013. Archived from the original on 4 March 2014. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
  5. ^ Delaney, Colin (7 February 2013). "News Former CNN host Anjali Rao to front Dateline". Mumbrella. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
  6. ^ Epstein, Jackie (1 October 2021). "'They couldn't believe I'd never had botox': Anjali Rao on joining Real Housewives of Melbourne". Herald Sun.
  7. ^ Epstein, Jackie (21 August 2020). "Former CNN and SBS news anchor Anjali Rao told she's 'too brown' for commercial TV". Herald Sun.
  8. ^ "#SurvivorAU: Heroes v Villains | Villain Revealed | We've got some news for you... here's your next Villain! Get more #SurvivorAU: Heroes v Villains reveals every night this week during #TheProjectTV. | By Australian Survivor | Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 30 November 2022.