Anita Rani has built one of the most recognisable broadcasting careers in Britain, moving comfortably between television, radio, documentaries, books and live events. Best known for BBC Countryfile and BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, the Bradford-born presenter has also worked across Channel 4 and other major UK broadcasters.
In recent years, interest in Anita Rani has extended beyond her career. Her separation from husband Bhupinder Rehal, her relationship with Alex Lavery, her decision to speak openly about life without children, and her appearance on Celebrity Race Across the World have all attracted considerable attention.
As of 2026, Rani is also the Chancellor of the University of Bradford and the host of the podcast Sisters of Defiance.
Here is a closer look at Anita Rani’s age, family, relationships, career, books, podcast and current projects.
Who is Anita Rani?
Anita Rani, whose full name is Anita Rani Nazran, is a British television and radio presenter, journalist and author from Bradford, West Yorkshire.
She was born on 25 October 1977, making her 48 years old in September 2026. She grew up in Bradford and developed an interest in broadcasting at an unusually young age. According to the University of Bradford, she had her own radio show on Sunrise Radio when she was just 14. She later studied at the University of Leeds.
Her career has since covered an unusually wide range of programmes. She has presented factual documentaries, entertainment shows and radio programmes, while becoming particularly associated with Countryfile and Woman’s Hour.
She has also become an important voice on questions of identity, representation, family expectations and British Asian life.
How old is Anita Rani?
Anita Rani was born on 25 October 1977 in Bradford, England.
That makes her 48 years old in 2026. She will turn 49 in October 2026.
Her age is sometimes searched alongside her career because Rani began working in broadcasting as a teenager and has now spent more than two decades in national television and radio.
Anita Rani’s early life and Bradford roots
Rani was born and raised in Bradford and has frequently spoken about how strongly the city shaped her identity.
Her background has also influenced much of her work. She has explored British Asian identity, family history and the legacy of Partition in several documentaries.
One of her most notable projects was My Family, Partition and Me: India 1947, in which she investigated her own family’s history surrounding the Partition of India. Her interest in the subject has also influenced her writing.
The University of Bradford describes her as a proud Bradfordian and highlights the importance of the city to both her personal story and professional life.
Anita Rani’s television and radio career
Rani’s broadcasting career began with radio before she developed into a familiar television presenter.
She joined the BBC Asian Network in 2005 and has subsequently worked across BBC radio, BBC television and Channel 4. Her television credits include Countryfile, Watchdog, The One Show, Four Rooms, Britain by Beach, Aldi’s Next Big Thing and several factual documentaries.
She has also presented Woman’s Hour on BBC Radio 4 and worked with BBC Radio 2.
Her ability to move between serious factual programming and lighter entertainment has become one of the defining features of her career.
Anita Rani and Countryfile
For many viewers, Countryfile remains the programme most closely associated with Anita Rani.
She joined the BBC series as a presenter and became a familiar presence on the programme, reporting from locations around Britain and covering subjects connected with rural life, the environment, farming and the countryside.
Countryfile’s profile of Rani notes that she has presented the programme for more than a decade and traces her journey from Bradford and local radio into national broadcasting.
Anita Rani on Celebrity Race Across the World
In 2025, Anita Rani took part in Celebrity Race Across the World with her father, Bal.
The third celebrity series began in Mexico and travelled through Central America before finishing in Colombia. The route covered approximately 5,900 kilometres. Rani and her father were among four celebrity teams competing without the usual comforts of modern travel.
The experience gave viewers another perspective on Rani outside her usual presenting roles. Travelling with her father also added a personal dimension to the programme.
The series ultimately ended with Roman Kemp and his sister Harleymoon winning the race.
Who is Anita Rani’s husband?
Anita Rani was married to Bhupinder Rehal, also known as Bhupi Rehal.
The couple married in 2009. Rehal worked in the technology sector and maintained a much lower public profile than his wife. Their relationship attracted interest largely because of Rani’s prominence as a broadcaster.
After around 14 years of marriage, reports emerged in 2023 that the couple had separated. Rani later described the period that followed as a new “chapter” in her life.
It is worth being careful with online claims about the former couple. Much of Rehal’s personal life has never been publicly documented, and unverified websites sometimes present speculation as fact.
Are Anita Rani and Bhupinder Rehal still together?
No. Anita Rani and Bhupinder Rehal separated in 2023 after approximately 14 years of marriage.
Reports at the time suggested that their demanding work schedules had contributed to them drifting apart. Rani subsequently spoke publicly about entering a different stage of her life.
The pair have generally kept the details of their separation private.
Does Anita Rani have children?
Anita Rani does not have children.
She has spoken publicly about the subject and about the expectations women can face around marriage and motherhood. She also revealed that she experienced a miscarriage in 2018, an intensely personal experience that she later discussed publicly.
Rani has also challenged the assumption that marriage and children should automatically define a woman’s happiness or success.
For that reason, searches for “Anita Rani children” often lead to discussions that are as much about her views on social expectations as they are about her personal circumstances.
Who is Anita Rani’s new partner?
Following her separation from Bhupinder Rehal, Anita Rani began a relationship with Alex Lavery.
The relationship became public in 2025, when the pair were seen together during London Fashion Week. Rani later spoke warmly about Lavery, describing him as fun, fit and a beautiful soul. Reports have identified him as being involved with Frqncy Ldn, an immersive sonic experience company.
By 2026, Rani had spoken more openly about the relationship while still keeping aspects of her private life away from the spotlight. She has also indicated that she values the independence she found after her marriage ended.
Anita Rani and Alex Lavery
Alex Lavery is therefore the name most closely associated with Anita Rani’s current relationship.
There is considerably less publicly verified information about Lavery than there is about Rani, so claims about his personal background, finances or private life should be treated cautiously.
Anita Rani’s books
Rani is also an author.
Her first book, The Right Sort of Girl, was published in 2021. It is a memoir drawing on her upbringing, family, British Asian identity and experiences of navigating different cultural expectations. The University of Bradford notes that the book became a Sunday Times bestseller.
Her second book, Baby Does a Runner, was published in 2023 and marked her move into fiction. The novel follows Baby Saul, a woman dealing with grief and dissatisfaction who discovers family secrets and travels to India in search of answers.
Anita Rani’s books at a glance
| Book | Year | Type |
|---|---|---|
| The Right Sort of Girl | 2021 | Memoir |
| Baby Does a Runner | 2023 | Novel |
Her writing extends themes that have appeared throughout her broadcasting career: identity, family, belonging, relationships and the complicated ways people understand their own history.
What is Anita Rani’s podcast?
In 2026, Rani launched Sisters of Defiance, a podcast focused on women who have challenged expectations, taken risks and chosen to live on their own terms.
The podcast features long-form conversations with prominent women from areas including culture, business, entertainment and public life. Guests during its first season have included Meera Syal, Emma Grede, Anoushka Shankar, Rose Ayling-Ellis, Clare Waight Keller, Beverley Knight, Davina McCall and Zandra Rhodes.
The show launched in May 2026, with new episodes released weekly during its first series.
It represents a natural extension of Rani’s broadcasting style: conversational, personal and interested in the experiences behind a public career.
Anita Rani as a UNHCR ambassador
Rani’s work extends beyond television.
She has supported UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, since 2017 and became a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador in March 2021. She has used her public profile to highlight refugee and displacement issues and has travelled with UNHCR to meet people affected by statelessness and displacement.
Her work with the organisation has included presenting and narrating projects that give displaced people an opportunity to tell their own stories.
This part of her career is significant because it shows that her work is not limited to entertainment and factual television.
Anita Rani and the University of Bradford
In 2023, Rani became Chancellor of the University of Bradford.
She was formally installed in March 2023 and became the university’s seventh chancellor. Her responsibilities include taking part in university life, conferring degrees and chairing the University’s Court.
She has also been involved in supporting access to higher education. In 2023, the university announced the Rani Scholarship, designed to support women facing disadvantage and help them study in areas where women remain underrepresented.
The role has particular significance because Rani herself grew up in Bradford and studied at the University of Leeds.
Anita Rani net worth
There is no reliably verified public figure for Anita Rani’s net worth.
Online celebrity websites sometimes publish specific estimates, but these figures are generally not accompanied by audited financial information or sufficiently reliable evidence. A responsible profile should therefore avoid presenting an invented number as fact.
Rani has built a substantial career across television, radio, books, presenting, documentaries and other media work, but her private finances are not publicly disclosed.
Was Anita Rani on The Apprentice or Blue Peter?
Searches sometimes associate Anita Rani with The Apprentice and Blue Peter, but neither is a defining programme in her career.
Rani has worked on a large number of BBC and Channel 4 productions, which can lead to her name appearing alongside many familiar programmes in search results and television databases. Her better-known credits include Countryfile, Woman’s Hour, Watchdog, The One Show, Four Rooms, Britain by Beach and Aldi’s Next Big Thing.
So, if you are looking for Anita Rani’s main career highlights, Countryfile, Woman’s Hour, her factual documentaries and more recent projects such as Celebrity Race Across the World are much more relevant.
Anita Rani’s career beyond television
One reason Rani has remained prominent for so long is her willingness to move between different forms of media.
Her career now includes:
- Television presenting
- Radio presenting
- Documentary making
- Writing
- Podcasting
- Public speaking
- Charity and ambassadorial work
- University leadership
She has also taken part in programmes such as Strictly Come Dancing, demonstrating a willingness to step in front of the cameras in a role other than presenter.
Her career has therefore developed well beyond the conventional television-presenter route.
Frequently asked questions about Anita Rani
How old is Anita Rani?
Anita Rani was born on 25 October 1977, making her 48 years old in September 2026.
Who was Anita Rani’s husband?
Her former husband is Bhupinder Rehal, a technology executive. They married in 2009 and separated in 2023.
Does Anita Rani have children?
No. Anita Rani does not have children. She has spoken publicly about motherhood, social expectations and her experience of miscarriage.
Who is Anita Rani’s boyfriend?
Anita Rani’s current publicly reported partner is Alex Lavery. Their relationship became public in 2025.
What is Anita Rani’s podcast called?
Her podcast is called Sisters of Defiance. It launched in 2026 and features conversations with women who have challenged expectations and forged their own paths.
What books has Anita Rani written?
Her two major books are The Right Sort of Girl, a 2021 memoir, and Baby Does a Runner, a 2023 novel.
What is Anita Rani best known for?
She is particularly well known for presenting BBC Countryfile and BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, alongside a wide range of documentaries and entertainment programmes.
Is Anita Rani still Chancellor of the University of Bradford?
Yes. The University of Bradford currently lists Anita Rani as its Chancellor. She took up the position in 2023.
Anita Rani today
Anita Rani’s career has reached a point where television is only one part of her public life. She remains strongly associated with Countryfile and radio, while her work as an author, podcaster, UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador and University of Bradford Chancellor has broadened her profile.
Her recent projects also show a clear interest in reinvention. Celebrity Race Across the World put her in front of the camera as a contestant alongside her father, while Sisters of Defiance has given her a platform to have deeper conversations with women whose experiences challenge conventional ideas about success and identity.
For audiences who have followed her since her early broadcasting days in Bradford, that may be the most interesting part of Anita Rani’s story: she has continued to change direction without leaving behind the themes that have defined her work — family, identity, ambition, culture and the freedom to choose your own path.
