ZARA JANJUA

Hi, I'm Zara—nice meet you!

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I'm Zara Janjua, a multi-award-winning broadcaster, writer, comedian, and filmmaker. You might recognise me from TV, hear my voice on radio and podcasts, or read my work in major publications.

 

A Recognized Talent

Zara was recently named one of Britain’s most talented up-and-coming women, earning a 'Highly Commended' finalist spot for the Women Of The Future Award, sponsored by Oxford University and the Financial Times. In 2023, she was also a finalist for the United Nations Women Awards.

She thrives on versatility—building a multi-hyphen career that spans in front of and behind the camera. Her work has been recognised with the Impact Freelancer Award 2023 by YunoJuno, and in 2021, she was named one of the Top 40 Digital Women in the UK. She has also been shortlisted for Digital Women for Good and Freelancer of The Year. In 2024, she was named one of Scotland's Top 100 Business Women.

 

On-Screen & On-Air

A BAFTA, NTA, and RTS award-winning broadcaster, Zara has presented national news, daytime TV, comedy, and cookery shows for BBC, ITV, and STV. She currently presents BBC Author's Live and BBC Radio Scotland’s Sunday Morning Show and performs as a comedian and impressionist for BBC Radio's Noising Up. She frequently provides political, social, and cultural commentary on Times Radio, BBC Asian Network, and BBC Radio London.

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Corporate & Financial Sector Work

Beyond broadcasting and entertainment, Zara has built a strong presence in the corporate world, particularly within the financial sector. She was appointed to NatWest’s Ethnicity Advisory Council, helping to shape policies around diversity and inclusion. Her experience in financial communication and business storytelling has led her to host several major sector events, including the EBRD Conference on Skills Development in Central Asia, the Financial Alliance for Women Summit , and The Herald's Investing with Impact.

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She has also presented three podcasts for NatWest, using her expertise in engaging storytelling and financial discourse. Zara hostsed Women in Business, a podcast dedicated to highlighting female entrepreneurs and industry leaders, as well as the Skills Development series, which explores career growth and professional advancement (Listen here). In 2025, she launched What’s The Chat?, an internal podcast for NatWest employees designed to foster discussion on workplace culture and engagement.

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The Multi-Hyphen Life

Her career spans across journalism, presenting, producing, directing, writing, acting, and stand-up comedy. In 2023, she became a columnist for The Scottish Sun and also contributes to The Guardian. She has covered major global events, reporting for The New York Times Climate Hub at COP26 in Glasgow and COP27 in Egypt, interviewing figures like Al Gore, John Kerry, Stella McCartney, and Vanessa Nakate.

 

Comedy & Writing

Comedy is at Zara’s core—she was selected for the BBC Comedy Writersroom, BBC Children's Writersroom, and ITV’s 50:50 Female Pilot Club. She has been shortlisted for the Funny Women Comedy Writing Award (twice!) and was also a finalist in the Comedy Short category in 2021. She was a finalist for the David Nobbs Comedy Writing Award, the BBC Film Commission and Young's Film Award.

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Filmmaking & Storytelling

In 2021, Zara made her directorial debut with A Spirited Journey, a documentary about marginalized and disabled women in Nepal, which was shortlisted at the Pinewood Studios Lift-Off Filmmaker Festival and won the Technical Award at the Global Film Festival.

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In 2022, she climbed Mount Kilimanjaro to film her second philanthropic documentary with CHAS, and in 2023, she documented the lives of children benefiting from Rotary International’s literacy projects in Guatemala. 

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Acting & TV Appearances

Zara will be appearing in Richard Gadd's new HBO/BBC series Half Man and has appeared in BBC’s Scot Squad, ITV’s Karen Pirie, and BBC Scotland’s The Chief in 2025. She also features in Jemima Goldsmith’s What’s Love Got to Do with It? alongside Emma Thompson and Lily James. She played Detective Singh in a Sean Connery Lab short film Checkout and a lead role in short film Silver Squares.

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A Champion for Equality & Mental Health

Passionate about women’s rights, diversity, and mental health advocacy, Zara has spoken at some of the UK’s biggest International Women’s Day events. In 2019, she stood alongside Nicola Sturgeon as the former First Minister announced the Gender Pay Gap Action Plan.