Sonali Shah hosts BBC One's Escape to the Country and Magic Radio’s Sunday Breakfast show from 7-10am. She is reporter with the BBC Live events team and appeared in the latest series of BBC Two’s Pilgrimage, filmed in North Wales. Her children's book, The Best Diwali Ever, is an Amazon bestseller.
Sonali has presented episodes of ITV's Tonight and was a regular member of Channel 4’s Steph’s Packed Lunch team. She has reported from many Olympic and Commonwealth Games as well as the Cricket World Cup and Wimbledon. She has also had roles on the BBC’s coverage of many marquee live events over recent years, including the Trooping the Colour, the Royal Wedding, the Lord Mayor’s Show, the London Marathon, the Boat Race and the Epsom Derby. Sonali has also been part of Channel 4’s coverage of Crufts and presented Crimewatch.
Her five-year stint on the BAFTA award-winning Newsround included presenting from the Beijing Olympics and filming special reports from Haiti and Afghanistan. One of her films, “Growing up in a Warzone”, was named “Best Children’s Programme” at the AIB awards.
Sonali began her professional broadcasting career in commercial radio soon after graduating from university in 2001 before moving over to the BBC.
She is an ambassador of the Prince’s Trust and the British Asian Trust.