Zara Janjua
Award-Winning Broadcast Multi-Hyphenate
THE PORTFOLIO
Presenter | Host | Journalist | writer | speaker | actor | filmmaker | screenwriter | coach & trainer
For 15 years Zara has worked across almost every corner of broadcasting. From hard news, current affairs and human rights journalism to comedy, daytime and children's.
Right now, you can find her presenting on BBC Radio Scotland, hosting BBC children's series Authors Live, and writing the weeklyThe Scottish Sun on Sunday column.
Her production company has produced impact documentaries in Nepal, Tanzania and Guatemala, helping charities raise hundreds of thousands of pounds through the power of storytelling. She now delivers keynotes worldwide on using storytelling as a force for good.
Zara works with corporate teams and high level CEOs to deliver coaching and training in communications, media, career development and humour at work. She has worked with Baroness Karen Brady at her flagship women in business event in London.
Along the way she's worked on ITV's This Morning, reported for The New York Times, written for CBBC show Gifted, and appeared on screen in dramas including HBO and BBC series Half Man and ITVs Karen Pirie.
She has been part of BAFTAs, NTAs and RTS Award-winning teams, and has been personally recognised by the Women of the Future Awards. Whatever the platform, her job is the same: find the story worth telling, then tell it well.
_svg.webp){kind=small}
Major Awards
Women of The Future Awards
2020 Highly Commended (Media)
Sponsored by the Financial Times and Oxford University, and led by Pinky Lilani CBE DL, the awards included career and negotiation training at Saïd Business School. I now return annually as the voice of the ceremony.
UN Women UK Awards
2023 (Finalist)
Recognised by UN Women UK for my contribution to gender equality, celebrating work that champions equality, representation and social change.
Business Women Scotland Awards
Top 100 Businesswomen
In 2025 and 2024 Zara joined the Top 100 List.
creative
Storytelling for the corporate world
Creativity doesn't belong solely in television.
She works with brands, businesses, organisations and individuals to bring broadcast-quality storytelling to their projects, whether that's shaping a campaign, producing a podcast, designing audience engagement for live events or helping ideas connect with the people they're meant to reach.
She doesn't just host events; she helps craft them, bringing an editorial eye to everything from the running order to the conversations on stage. The same approach underpins her media training and executive coaching, helping leaders discover the stories that will move people to action and inspire new mindsets.
SEE HER IN ACTION
Torquil Macleod, Visit Scotland
Our sincere thanks to you for doing such an excellent job. You were a pleasure to work with and set exactly the right tone for the day. Your effort in researching and developing your script was very much appreciated, as was your excellent timekeeping. Your facilitation of the interview and panel discussions was first-rate. Altogether, we were delighted that you agreed to be Host and very much appreciate all that you brought to the day.
Jennifer Jones, Rotary International
President Elect 2022-23
Zara is someone who sees the world as a global citizen, constantly looking to use her voice to raise others up. Through her documentary work in Nepal and later supporting Rotary's literacy project in Gautemala, she helped raise hundreds of thousands for frontline essentials. Zara possesses extraordinary empathy and compassion, and it is a joy to watch her write each new chapter of her life."
Pinky Lilani CBE DL
Zara is an exceptional storyteller who understands the privilege and responsibility that comes with having a voice. She uses hers with purpose, championing equality, diversity and inclusion, while always seeking to empower others through kindness and compassion.
What I most admire is her unwavering curiosity and commitment to lifelong learning. Zara has continually reinvented herself with courage and grace, embracing new challenges and proving that there should never be limits on what women can achieve. Her breadth of talent is remarkable, but it is matched by her generosity of spirit.
She brings warmth, authenticity and joy to every room she enters, building genuine human connections wherever she goes. Zara is not only making a meaningful difference today; she is inspiring others to realise their own potential and helping to create a brighter, more inclusive future. She truly embodies what it means to be a Woman of the Future.