ZARA JANJUA
MULTI-HYPHEN
hi! I'm Zara, nice to meet you
Zara Janjua is a multi award-winning broadcaster and a familiar face on TV, and voice on radio and podcasts.
She was recently named as one of Britain's most talented up-and-coming women, winning 'Highly Commended' as a finalist for the Women Of The Future Award, sponsored by Oxford University and the Financial Times. In 2023 she was a finalist for the United Nations Women Awards.
This accolade recognises the success she has achieved working with multiple income streams to build a broad portfolio, both in front of, and behind the camera. She was recently awarded the Impact Freelancer Award 2023 by YunoJuno and was named one of the Top 40 Digital Women in the UK in 2021. Zara has previously been shortlisted for 'Digital Women For Good' and 'Freelancer of The Year' Award.
The BAFTA, NTA and RTS award-winning broadcaster has presented national news, daytime, comedy and cookery shows for BBC, ITV and STV.
Zara is a proactive mentor for young women and minority groups, operating on a 50:50 model - dedicating half her time to philanthropic filming projects. She was appointed to the NatWest Ethnicity Advisory Council to advise the group on policies and strategy.
Zara is a successful multi-hyphen TV professional. She is a journalist, presenter, producer, director, filmmaker, writer, comedian, actor, course facilitator and event host. This year she was launched as a columnist for Scotland's biggest newspaper, The Scottish Sun and also writes for The Guardian.
Zara was a reporter for The New York Times Climate Hub at COP26 in Glasgow, and again in Egypt at Cop27, interviewing Al Gore, John Kerry, Stella McCartney and Vanessa Nakate, amongst others.
Zara presents BBC Radio Scotland's Sunday Morning Show and writes and performs for BBC Radio political satire show Noising Up as a comedian and impressionist. She was shortlisted as a New Voice Talent on BBC Radio London. Zara often appears on panels and debates, offering social, topical and political commentary on The Times Radio, BBC Asian Network and BBC Radio London.
Scottish-Pakistani Zara Janjua won a coveted spot in the BBC Comedy Writersroom and BBC Children's Writer Room she also won a place in the ITV 50:50 Female Pilot Club. She was in the in 2020 and was shortlisted for the Funny Women Comedy Writing Award 2020. Zara is currently developing several scripts with production companies and was commissioned by BBC Studios to write and star in Short Stuffs for the iPlayer. She has also been commissioned to work with All3Media on a new project and was shortlisted for a BBC film commission. She won a runner-up prize for the David Nobbs Comedy Writing Award 2021, she was shortlisted for the Funny Women Comedy Writing Award twice and was a finalist in the Comedy Short category in 2021.
Zara hosted BBC's Comedy Underground, appearing on a number of BBC Comedy shows in 2020 including Socially Distant with Susan Calman. She appears regularly on multiple episodes of BBC's Scotland Made Me and Raiders of the Lost Archive.
In 2019 Zara celebrated an NTA win as a producer on ITV's This Morning team and worked as a Creative Producer and Director with Press Association where she interviewed Cara Delevingne and Sir Richard Branson, working on global campaigns for brands.
Zara debuted as a filmmaker last year with 'A Spirited Journey' documentary about marginalised and disabled women in Nepal for the United Nations-supported charity, Seven Women. The documentary was shortlisted at the Pinewood Studios Life-Off Filmmaker Festival 2021 and won the Technical Award in the documentary category at the inaugural Global Film Festival 2021.
In 2022 she travelled to Tanzania to undertake her second philanthropic film with CHAS, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. The documentary is currently in post-production. In 2023 she will be documenting the lives of children in rural Guatemala who benefit from Rotary International literacy projects. Zara is an ambassador for several charities. Recently, she embarked on the role of Trustee for Mr Motivator's Charitable Fund.
Zara has appeared as an actor in BBC's Scot Squad, she played a journalist in the ITV Drama Karen Pirie and also appears in Jemima Goldsmith's 'What's Love Got To Do With It?' with Emma Thompson and Lily James, released in cinemas in Feb 2023.
An advocate for equality, women's rights and mental health - Zara speaks at some of the biggest International Women's Day events across the country. In 2019 she shared a stage with former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon as she announced the Gender Pay Gap Action Plan.
multi-hyphen portfolio
clients
Zara works with TV, Radio, Production Companies, VOD Platforms, Creative Agencies, Marketing Agencies, Brands, Businesses and individuals.
She collaborates to develop and deliver content ideas for shows, video content, adverts, podcasts, events, scripts, marketing and PR campaigns. Zara adapts her multi-hyphen roles to suit each project, offering clients a bespoke package every time.