Mobeen Azhar (born 1980) is a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

journalist, radio and television presenter, and filmmaker of Pakistani heritage. He produces investigative reports and films for the BBC exploring themes related to politics, true crime, extremism, counter terrorism and sexuality. He has presented and produced international documentaries for

BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television b ...

BBC Two BBC Two is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's second flagship channel, and it covers a wide range of subject matte ...

and

BBC Three BBC Three is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It was first launched on 9 February 2003 with programmes for a 16 to 34-year-old target aud ...

. Azhar has fronted radio programmes on the

BBC Asian Network BBC Asian Network is a British digital radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station's target audience is people "with an interest in British Asian lifestyles", especially those between the ages of 18 and 34. The station has produc ...

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...

and

BBC Radio 5 Live BBC Radio 5 Live is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It broadcasts mainly news, sport, Talk show, discussion, interviews and phone-ins, and is on air 24 hours a day. It is the principal BBC radio station Broadca ...

. Since 2022, he has presented the ''Outlook'' strand on the

BBC World Service The BBC World Service is a British Public broadcasting, public service broadcaster owned and operated by the BBC. It is the world's largest external broadcaster in terms of reception area, language selection and audience reach. It broadcas ...

. He also presents the ''Lives Less Ordinary'' podcast made by the BBC World Service and available on BBC Sounds, Spotify and Apple. In

2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...

, he won a

British Academy Television Award The BAFTA TV Awards, or British Academy Television Awards, are presented in an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. They have been awarded annually since 1955. Background The first-ever Awards, given in 1 ...

for producing the BBC series ''Muslims Like Us'' and in 2020, he won a Royal Television Society Award for presenting BBC documentary ''Hometown: A Killing''. In 2019, Azhar became a presenter on the new BBC Three show ''Plastic Surgery Undressed''. In 2019, Azhar became a founding partner in the independent production company Forest. In 2023, Azhar presented the documentary '' Predator: The Secret Scandal of J-Pop,'' centered on the sexual abuse claims against Johnny Kitagawa, which helped posthumously expose his crimes.

Early life and education

Azhar was born and raised in

Huddersfield Huddersfield is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees in West Yorkshire, England. It is the administrative centre and largest settlement in the Kirklees district. The town is in the foothills of the Pennines. The River Holme's confl ...

Yorkshire Yorkshire ( ) is an area of Northern England which was History of Yorkshire, historically a county. Despite no longer being used for administration, Yorkshire retains a strong regional identity. The county was named after its county town, the ...

. His parents had emigrated from

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

. His father was a bus driver and a shop keeper who encouraged Azhar to go to university. At university, Azhar gained a law degree and master's degree in

theology Theology is the study of religious belief from a Religion, religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an Discipline (academia), academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itse ...

. He returned to study

broadcast journalism Broadcast journalism is the field of news and journals which are broadcast by electronic methods instead of the older methods, such as printed newspapers and posters. It works on radio (via air, cable, and Internet), television (via air, cable, ...

Leeds Trinity University Leeds Trinity University is a public university in Horsforth, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Originally established to provide qualified teachers to Catholic schools, it gradually expanded and now offers foundation, undergraduate, and postgr ...

after working for a charity.

Career

In 2012, Azhar was part of a team reporting from

Waziristan Waziristan (Persian language, Persian, Pashto, Ormuri, , ) is a mountainous region of the Pakistani province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The Waziristan region administratively splits among three districts: North Waziristan, Lower South Waziristan Dis ...

on US drone strikes on the Afghan border for a BBC Panorama special, ''The Secret Drone War''. In August 2013, he investigated gay life in urban Pakistan for ''Assignment: Inside Gay Pakistan'' on the

and on

. Azhar has written about and reported extensively on musician

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

. In 2015, he presented BBC documentary ''Hunting for Prince’s Vault'' and in September 2016, Azhar's debut book ''Prince Stories from the Purple Underground: 1958–2016'' was published by Welbeck Publishing. In 2016, Azhar joined a police team of "Taliban Hunters" in

Karachi Karachi is the capital city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Sindh, Pakistan. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, largest city in Pakistan and 12th List of largest cities, largest in the world, with a popul ...

, Pakistan, as part of documentary reporting for BBC's ''Panorama''. During filming he was shot at by the

Taliban , leader1_title = Supreme Leader of Afghanistan, Supreme leaders , leader1_name = {{indented plainlist, * Mullah Omar{{Natural Causes{{nbsp(1994–2013) * Akhtar Mansour{{Assassinated (2015–2016) * Hibatullah Akhundzada (2016–present) ...

. In February 2016, Azhar presented the BBC Three documentary ''Webcam Boys'', spending a couple of months with men who make money from performing in online sex shows. In 2019, Azhar presented BBC documentaries ''The Satanic Verses: 30 Years On,'' ''A Black and White Killing: The Case that Shook America'' and ''The Best Pakistani Transgender Retirement Home.'' Also in 2019, Azhar also presented six-part BBC documentary series ''Hometown: A Killing'', reporting on the police shooting of Yassar Yaqub in

in 2017. Yasser Yaqub's father Mohammed Yaqub, who featured in the series, claimed Azhar had attempted to "smear" his son's name. Huddersfield MP Barry Sheerman also criticized the programme, claiming it depicted the town as "a hotbed of violent crime". The

docu-series Television documentaries are televised media productions that screen documentaries. Television documentaries exist either as a television documentary series or as a television documentary film. * Television documentary series, sometimes called d ...

went on to win several awards. During the same year, Azhar became a presenter on BBC Three show ''Plastic Surgery Undressed'', alongside

Vogue Williams Vogue Williams (born 2 October 1985) is an Irish presenter and media personality, known for participating in ''Dancing with the Stars (Australian TV series), Dancing with the Stars'' and ''Stepping Out (British TV series), Stepping Out'' and fo ...

. In 2020, two additional episodes of ''Hometown: A Killing'' were released on BBC Three and BBC One. An accompanying 6-part podcast was released on BBC Sounds. In May 2021, Azhar presented a BBC Two documentary ''The Battle For Britney: Fans, Cash, And A Conservatorship'', reporting from

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

and

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

on the #FreeBritney movement who claim music star

Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the "Princess of Pop", she has sold over 150 million records worldwide, making her one of the world's best-selling music artists. Cultural impact of Brit ...

is being "kept a virtual prisoner in her own home" through a conservatorship managed by her father. Spears was reported to have criticized the documentary, describing it as "hypocritical". In July 2021, Azhar presented ''Secrets of an ISIS Smartphone'' on BBC Three and BBC One. Filmed in the UK, the documentary used footage from the smartphones of British men who had travelled to

Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...

to join

ISIS Isis was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingdom () as one of the main characters of the Osiris myth, in which she resurrects her sla ...

. The ''

Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and also published digitally that focuses on business and economic Current affairs (news format), current affairs. Based in London, the paper is owned by a Jap ...

'' said the film provided "an unexpected insight". In August 2022, Azhar presented a five-part BBC series ''Scam City: Money, Mayhem and Maseratis'', investigating the world of

Instagram Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...

scams, forex trading and

pyramid scheme A pyramid scheme is a business model which, rather than earning money (or providing Return on investment, returns on investments) by sale of legitimate product (business), products to an end consumer, mainly earns money by recruiting new members ...

s. In November 2022, Azhar presented a six-part true-crime series ''Santa Claus the Serial Killer'' on the relaunched

channel, exploring the case of serial killer Bruce McArthur. The series was filmed in Canada and explores themes of race, faith, culture and sexuality.

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

criticised the series: "At times there is a sense that this is less an investigation and more a whistlestop tour of the Bruce McArthur murder tourism industry. These people have told their stories countless times now, and there is something truly unedifying about Azhar’s (and the audience’s) willingness to rubberneck at so much well-worn trauma." Azhar was appointed a member of the Advisory Board for the 2022

Edinburgh International Television Festival The Edinburgh International Television Festival is an annual media event held in Edinburgh, Scotland, each August that brings together delegates from the television and digital world to debate the major issues facing the industry. The Festi ...

, led by

Afua Hirsch Afua Hirsch Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, FRSL (born 1981) is a British writer and broadcaster. She has worked as a journalist for ''The Guardian'' newspaper, and was the Social Affairs and Education Editor for Sky News from 2014 un ...

, appointed Advisory Chair in March 2022. In March 2023, Azhar presented '' Predator: The Secret Scandal of J-Pop'', a documentary exploring allegations of sexual abuse against Japanese pop mogul Johnny Kitagawa. Filmed in

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

, the programme was broadcast on

. ''

'' praised the documentary, calling it "a breathtaking look at Japan's paedophile boyband 'god'." The documentary went on to be broadcast on ABC in Australia, BBC Select in North America and BBC News Japan. Following the broadcast, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced a ministerial meeting to address the subject of child sexual abuse. In Summer 2023 a major overhaul of sexual crimes legislation was enacted in Japan. The age of consent was increased from 13 to 16; a new legal definition of rape was also introduced. In August 2023, the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

set up a task force to report on exploitation in the workplace within entertainment, concluding that Kitagawa had acted "with impunity" and recommended that survivors of abuse receive compensation. An external investigation recommended that Johnny & Associates CEO Julie Fujishima, who is Kitagawa's niece, stand down. In September 2023, Azhar received the 'Freedom of the Press Award' from the Foreign Correspondence Club of Japan in acknowledgement of his work and the widespread impact of the documentary. In February 2023, the BBC announced Azhar would front a new documentary and podcast about

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...

"unfolding against the backdrop of Ye’s 2024 election campaign, and at a time when his behaviour has sparked outrage and a re-evaluation of his place in popular culture". Provisionally titled ''We Need to Talk about Kanye'', the documentary was broadcast on

and ran alongside an accompanying eight-part podcast series on

BBC Music BBC Music is the arm of the BBC responsible for the music played across its services. The current director of music is Lorna Clarke. Officially it is a part of the BBC's Radio operational division; however, its remit also includes music used i ...

, called ''The Kanye Story'' on BBC Sounds. The film was acquired by Binge in Australia,

CBC CBC may refer to: Media * Cadena Baja California or Grupo Cadena, a radio and television broadcaster in Mexico * Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Canada's radio and television public broadcaster ** CBC Television ** CBC Radio One ** CBC Music ** ...

in Canada and multiple broadcasters in Europe. ''The Guardian'' called the film a "hugely impressive documentary" that "holds the far right figurehead to account." The '' Jewish Chronicle'' review referred to Azhar as "intelligent, disarming and likeable" and concluded the documentary made for "distressing viewing." ''

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

'' concluded "though focused on West, the documentary ends up as the latest grim snapshot of a nation rapidly sliding into chaos and far-right lunacy".

Awards

In May 2017, Azhar won a

for his work as a producer on the BBC series ''Muslims Like Us''. In 2018, Azhar’s show on the

won Best Radio Show at the Asian Media Awards. In June 2019, Azhar won the first Sandford St Martin Journalism Award for his BBC radio programme ''The Dawn of British Jihad''. In 2020, Azhar won the

Royal Television Society The Royal Television Society (RTS) is a British-based educational charity for the discussion, and analysis of television in all its forms, past, present, and future. It is the oldest television society in the world. It currently has fourteen r ...

'Presenter of the Year' award for ''Hometown: A Killing''. In the same year, he also won 'Best Presenter' at the Grierson Awards for the same documentary series. Azhar has won an

Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says that it has more than ten million members a ...

award for ''Panorama: The Secret Drone War.'' He has also been nominated for a Foreign Press Association Award for his

programme ''Fatwa'' and for his documentary ''Inside Gay Pakistan''. In August 2022, Azhar received an honorary fellowship at

, where he studied journalism for the first time in 18 years. In September 2023, Azhar received the Freedom of Press Award from The Foreign Correspondence Club of Japan for his documentary 'Predator: The Secret Scandal of J-Pop'.

Personal life

Azhar is openly gay; and is a Muslim. He is an avid fan of musician

and horror films.

References

External links

Mobeen Azhar
official website {{DEFAULTSORT:Mobeen, Azhar Living people 21st-century British journalists 21st-century English writers BBC newsreaders and journalists BBC television presenters English people of Pakistani descent English television journalists English television presenters LGBTQ people from Yorkshire People from Huddersfield Television personalities from Yorkshire English radio presenters British LGBTQ journalists British LGBTQ broadcasters 1980 births