ONE of the most familiar faces on TV now, Reeta Chakrabarti began her career with BBC Radio on the Breakfast programme of the then newly launched Radio 5 Live in 1994. The young Chakrabarti spent her formative years in Birmingham but also lived in India, at tending the Calcutta International School in the city, during her teenage years. She studied at King Edward VI High School for Girls in Birmingham, before going onto read English and French at Exeter College, Oxford, from 1984 to 1988. Later, she worked as a general news correspondent for television and radio as well and became community affairs correspondent for the BBC in 1997.
After this, Chakrabarti went on to become a political correspondent, during which time she worked across a variety of television and radio programmes reporting on politics for the BBC. In January 2011, she became the BBC News education correspondent and was then recruit ed as a news presenter for BBC One and the BBC News Channel in 2014. She has wide experience in the field and lists reporting on migrants crossing the Mediterranean; the Rohingya crisis in both Myanmar and Bangladesh; the US 2020 election and the global pandemic that raged that year, as among the most memorable and significant stories she has covered. She is now one of the corporation’s regular peak-time viewing anchors and is being touted as possible main news presenter to replace Huw Edwards. Since Edwards’ departure – Chakrabarti has appeared in his main slots across News at Six and News at Ten more than the other replacements which include Clive Myrie, Sophie Raworth, Jane Hill, Fiona Bruce and Ben Brown. This is quite a formidable line up of talent, so to be in pole position in terms of the data alone – compiled by the Times newspaper – is saying something.
Chakrabarti has also chaired and hosted nu merouscorporate events and award ceremonies, including the Royal Television Society’s (RTS) Educational Television Awards Dinners in 2003 and 2004. Chakrabarti also succeeded Dr John Senta mu as Chancellor of York St John University in October 2019 and began her tenure in March 2020. It is a ceremonial position. A significant milestone in Chakrabarti’s career was her live coverage of the Russian Ukraine war for BBC News in 2022. Commenting on her career trajectory, the broadcaster said: “I have looked up to different talented people throughout my career”.