In an episode of Who Do You Think You Are? first broadcast on 1 October 2015 on BBC One, Rani investigated the history of her maternal grandfather Sant Singh (born Sant Ram, in Sarhali in 1916, died 1975), in particular learning more about his first wife and children, who died during the violence of the Partition of India in 1947, while he was a thousand miles away in Kirkee, serving in the British Indian Army, which he had joined in August 1942. Rani discovered that her maternal grandfather was born into a Hindu Taggar family, but converted to Sikhism as a young man in accordance with a custom prevalent at the time. He continued to serve in the Indian Army after Indian independence, retiring as a subedar (equivalent to a warrant officer) in 1970.[3]
After leaving university Rani worked as a researcher for the BBC and other organisations.[6]
In 2002, Rani presented The Edit, a live news and entertainment programme on Channel Five. She presented a number of pop shows on Five including Spring Break Live, Party in the Park and Pop City Live, as well as being a freelance journalist for 5 News.[4] In spring 2003, she fronted The State We're In, a satirical current affairs programme on BBC Three. She also presented the first Poetry Slam on the same channel.[7] She was nominated as Best On Screen Personality at the Royal Television Society Midlands awards in 2005.[4]
Rani joined the BBC Asian Network radio station in March 2005, and became presenter of the weekend Hot Breakfast show. From April 2006 to March 2007 she presented the weekday morning talkback programme Anita Rani on the BBC Asian Network on the station.[8][9]
In 2005, she was a regular reporter on The Cricket Show on Channel 4. From 20 May 2006 she was a co-presenter of Desi DNA, an arts programme on BBC Two catering to the Desi (British Asian) community. She launched Destination Three, a late night entertainment zone on BBC Three.[4] In May 2006, Rani joined Sky Sports where she became co-presenter with Simon Thomas on the Cricket AM show each Saturday morning.[4]
Rani presented My Generation Next, shown on BBC News 24 between 2 and 9 December 2006. She covered for Anita Anand on the late evening weekday show on BBC Radio 5 Live in March and September 2007 and has presented World Have Your Say on the BBC World Service and Weekend Breakfast on Five Live. She has also covered on various shows for BBC Radio 6 Music. In August 2008, Rani was the co-presenter of Rogue Restaurants on BBC One and joined the team of roving reporters on The One Show. From 2 March 2009 she co-presented BBC One's Watchdog, succeeding Julia Bradbury.
From 2011 until 2015, Rani presented Four Rooms where unique objects are offered for sale to specialist dealers. In 2016, she was replaced by Sarah Beeny.[10]
Rani co-presented with Justin Rowlatt a two-part documentary travelogueIndia on Four Wheels, a road trip around India sampling the changes and problems that growing car usage has brought to the country in the last two decades.[11] This 2011 show was followed by similar collaborations with Rowlatt, China on Four Wheels (aired September 2012) and Russia on Four Wheels (aired January 2014).
In 2012, Rani took part in BBC's Great Sport Relief Bake Off, winning the competition. In 2013, she co-presented the live broadcast project Airport Live from Heathrow Airport. In April 2014, she was one of the presenters of BBC Two's Escape to the Continent.
Since 2015, she has co-hosted BBC's Countryfile. Rani co-presented The World's Busiest Railway 2015, alongside Dan Snow and Robert Llewellyn. The four-part series aired on BBC Two.[12] In 2016, she co-presented The Refugee Camp: Our Desert Home for BBC Two and presented This Morning for four Fridays in the summer alongside James Martin.[13][14]
In 2016, Rani co-presented the three-part BBC Two series New York: America's Busiest City alongside Ant Anstead and Ade Adepitan.[15] She presented My Family, Partition and Me: India 1947, a two-part programme on BBC One. She co-presented World's Busiest Cities in 2017 with Dan Snow and Ade Adepitan.
Since 15 January 2021, Rani has presented the Friday and Saturday editions of BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour.[18]
On 24 February 2021, Rani was a guest on BBC Radio 4 interview show Gossip And Goddesses With Granny Kumar, where she said that her Indian name is Neetu, after the Indian actress Neetu Singh.[19]
In October 2022, Rani presented Channel 4's Aldi's Next Big Thing, alongside Chris Bavin and Julie Ashfield.[23]
In November 2022, Rani was named as the new chancellor of the University of Bradford.[24] She was installed at a ceremony in March 2023 and appeared on the front page of The Times. Speaking on the day of her installation, she said: "The University of Bradford is about to move into a really exciting phase, I’m thrilled to be part of that journey, and that I get to be Chancellor during City of Culture 2025."[25]
^Anita and Gleb received four points in this dance marathon.
Personal life
Rani lives in Hackney, east London.[28] She was previously married to Bhupinder Rehal, a technology executive for an advertising agency.[3] In September 2023, it was reported the couple had split.[29][30][31] In 2020, Rani opened up about a miscarriage she suffered in 2018.[32]
^ ab"Anita Rani". Who Do You Think You Are?. Series 12. Episode 8. 1 October 2015. BBC One. Retrieved 1 October 2015. Journalist Anita Rani never met her maternal grandfather Sant Singh – all she has been told is that he suffered terrible tragedy at the time of India's Partition. Anita's mother also tells her that Sant had another wife and family before marrying Anita's grandmother. Armed with this knowledge, Anita travels to India to see if she can find out more about her grandfather's first family – and discover what happened to them during Partition.
