Mishal Husain is a prominent British journalist and news presenter primarily associated with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). Her career started with Bloomberg Television in London before she joined the BBC as a junior producer. She quickly transitioned to on-camera roles, presenting business news for BBC News and BBC World News. Husain has hosted several major BBC programs, including Impact, HARDtalk, and BBC Breakfast, and has presented Newsnight on BBC Two. Currently, she is a regular host on the flagship radio program Today and the BBC Weekend News, in addition to serving as a relief presenter for BBC News at Six and BBC News at Ten. She has also acted as a morning anchor for major sporting events, such as the 2012 Summer Olympics and the 2014 Commonwealth Games. Throughout her career, Husain has conducted interviews with numerous high-profile individuals, including Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Her professional excellence has been recognized with awards such as the Broadcaster of the Year Award at the London Press Club Awards and the Services to Media award at the British Muslim Awards.
Background and Education
Born on February 11, 1973, in Northampton, England, Husain is of Pakistani descent; her grandfather, Syed Shahid Hamid, was a two-star general and the first director-general of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). She moved to the United Arab Emirates at age two when her father, a doctor, began practicing there, and she attended The British School Al Khubairat in Abu Dhabi. Returning to England at age 12, she attended Cobham Hall. Husain studied law at New Hall, Cambridge (now Murray Edwards College), and earned a master’s degree in international and comparative law from the European University Institute in Florence, Italy.
Journalism Career
Husain’s first experience in journalism was a three-month stint as a city reporter for the Pakistani newspaper, The News International, at age 18. While at university, she completed several short projects with the BBC.
Early Career: Her professional career began in 1996 at Bloomberg Television in London as a junior producer and occasional presenter.
Joining the BBC: She joined the BBC in 1998, quickly moving to on-camera roles, presenting business news for BBC News and BBC World News.
Washington Correspondent: In September 2002, she became the BBC’s Washington correspondent, serving as the main news anchor during the pivotal buildup to and execution of the 2003 invasion of Iraq, where she interviewed figures like Paul Wolfowitz and Paul Kagame.
Major Roles: Since 2005, she has been the Sunday presenter of BBC Weekend News. In 2013, she joined the highly influential BBC Radio 4’s Today program, which she continues to host. She also acts as a relief presenter for BBC News at Six and BBC News at Ten. Other notable appearances include presenting Newsnight, hosting major event coverage for the 2012 Summer Olympics and 2014 Commonwealth Games, and a stint as a word pronouncer on the game show Star Spell.
High-Profile Interviews: She notably interviewed Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in November 2017.
Recognition and Other Activities
Husain was named one of the five most influential Muslim women in the UK by The Times in 2009. She received the Services to Media award at the British Muslim Awards in 2014 and the Broadcaster of the Year Award at the London Press Club Awards in 2015. She is also a judge for the Amnesty International Media Awards and serves as an ambassador for the British Asian Trust, in addition to supporting other charities like Operation Smile and Mosaic.
Personal Life of Mishal Husain
Mishal Husain has been married to Meekal Hashmi since July 2003. They live in London and have three sons: one born in 2004, followed by twins in 2006. She has publicly advocated for Muslim scholars to utilize social media to counter extremist narratives, such as those promoted by ISIL.
Net worth of Mishal Husain
The estimated net worth of Mishal Husain is about $5 million.