Babita has just published her debut book, The Corner Shop a charming account of the shopkeepers and indeed Sharmas, who made modern Britain. It is full of the life and characters which make up the richness and diversity of the local community and encapsulates a crucial part of the last 50 years of British history.
TV Presenter and News Anchor for the BBC, Babita Sharma has fronted documentaries and programmes and was named as one of the BBC’s ‘Talents to Watch’ for 2017/2018. Her documentary Booze, Beans & Bhajis was broadcast on BBC Four, BBC News Channel and BBC World News in March 2017 to critical acclaim.
Babita co-presented BBC One’s Supermarket Shopping Secrets and fronts a BBC Two series Dangerous Borders: The Story of India & Pakistan, which sees her trekking the India/Pakistan border 70 years after partition. It is also a personal story for Babita whose family was directly affected during the partition of India.
For six years, Babita has presented Newsday on BBC World News, covering major breaking world news events. The include the US elections in Washington 2016, the Rio Olympic Games in Brazil, the EU Referendum, UK General Election 2017, the Hong Kong protests 2014, India elections 2014, London 2012 Olympics and the award winning BBC 100 Women series.
Babita is a regular guest presenter on BBC World Service for Outlook, The Fifth Floor and The Conversation and is also a guest contributor for Biz Matters. She also works on overseas projects for BBC Media Action and has recently travelled to Myanmar & Cambodia.
Babita has chaired and hosted conferences, most recently hosting the United Nations (IFAD) Summit, The World Travel Market & the 2017 A.I. Summit.
Passionate about diversity and mental health issues, Babita is part of the senior diversity programme at the BBC and mentors journalists from a BAME background. Babita also works with the charity Mind where she has helped develop a training programme for students about mental health awareness for children.
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