Babita Sharma

Babita Sharma is an award-winning BBC News presenter, documentarian and author who combines journalistic excellence with powerful storytelling across multiple platforms. As lead news anchor for BBC World News Newsday and presenter on BBC Breakfast, she has covered defining global events from the Covid-19 pandemic to Brexit, whilst her critically acclaimed book The Corner Shop won a Business Book Award in 2020 for its compelling social history of multicultural Britain. Through her documentaries, including the landmark series Dangerous Borders and Booze, Beans & Bhajis, alongside her work hosting prestigious industry events such as the PharmaTimes International Clinical Researcher of the Year Awards, Babita equips audiences with fresh perspectives on diversity, resilience and cultural identity that inspire meaningful conversations and inclusive leadership.

Growing up above a corner shop in 1980s Reading, Babita Sharma witnessed first-hand the challenges and resilience that shaped multicultural Britain, an experience that would later inspire her critically acclaimed book *The Corner Shop*. Published by Two Roads in 2019, the book charts the social history of these unsung heroes of British life through the lens of her family's story, offering a compelling perspective on the political and economic climate of her childhood. The work earned a Business Book Award in 2020, cementing her reputation not only as a journalist but as a cultural commentator with unique insight into the fabric of modern Britain.

As lead news anchor for BBC World News Newsday and presenter on BBC Breakfast, Babita has covered some of the most defining global events of recent years, from the Covid-19 pandemic and Brexit to the Hong Kong protests and the award-winning BBC 100 Women series. Her documentary work has taken her across continents and into deeply personal territory, including the landmark BBC Two series *Dangerous Borders: The Story of India & Pakistan*, where she travelled to the India-Pakistan border 70 years after partition, following in the footsteps of her family who were directly affected by that historic division. She has also presented *Booze, Beans & Bhajis: The Story of the Corner Shop* on BBC Four and *Supermarket Secrets* on BBC One, each exploring the intersection of commerce, culture and community. Beyond broadcasting, Babita hosts prestigious industry events, including the PharmaTimes International Clinical Researcher of the Year Awards in London, where she celebrates the talent and innovation driving progress in global clinical research.

Audiences leave Babita's talks with a renewed understanding of diversity, resilience and cultural identity, equipped with practical insights they can apply within their own organisations and communities. Her work mentoring journalists from underrepresented backgrounds, developing presenter training programmes in London, Cambodia and Myanmar alongside the FCO and BBC Media Action, and raising mental health awareness in schools through her partnership with Mind, demonstrates her commitment to creating lasting change beyond the screen. As a Distinguished Friend of the Migration Museum and patron of South Asian Heritage Month, she champions the stories that help us understand who we are. Whether speaking at conferences, moderating panel discussions or sharing her personal journey, Babita inspires audiences to embrace difference, challenge assumptions and recognise the power of storytelling to build more inclusive and empathetic workplaces and societies.