Amol Rajan became the youngest editor of a broadsheet newspaper in Britain when he took the helm of The Independent in 2013, but now the BBC’s media editor faces an entirely new challenge as he gears up to quiz some of the smartest young minds in the country.
The 39-year-old journalist has been named as the new host of BBC quiz show University Challenge, taking over from seasoned broadcaster Jeremy Paxman.
Rajan started life in Calcutta, India, where he was born to Hindu parents and lived in the country until the age of three, when the family moved to London.
📢 Amol Rajan announced as new University Challenge host Read more ➡️ https://t.co/EkzHrsLqWi pic.twitter.com/vGvSFXndHG
— BBC Press Office (@bbcpress) August 18, 2022
He was raised in Tooting, south-west London, and, after attending Graveney School, took a gap year to work in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office before going on to read English literature at Downing College, Cambridge.
After spending two years as a mic boy on Channel 5’s daytime talk show The Wright Stuff, Rajan joined The Independent newspaper in 2007.
During his time at the publication he held a number of roles, including news reporter, columnist, sports reporter and editor of the title’s comment section, Independent Voices.
Rajan was also a restaurant critic for The Independent on Sunday, leading to occasional guest appearances on BBC One cooking show MasterChef.
In 2013 he was promoted to editor of The Independent, which, at the age of 29, made him the youngest editor of a broadsheet title in Britain.
He remained in the role until the publication made the move to digital-only in February 2016, then becoming an editor-at-large before joining the BBC.
Rajan has previously been criticised over a number of comments he made about members of the royal family during his time at The Independent.
In a 2012 article about the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee written for the newspaper, Rajan described the Duke of Edinburgh as a “racist buffoon” and the Prince of Wales as “scientifically illiterate”.
The piece described the jubilee as “little more than the industrialisation of mediocrity” and was also critical of the Duke of Cambridge and the Duke of Sussex.
Rajan also came under fire after he presented a controversial BBC documentary titled The Princes And The Press, which explored William and Harry’s relationship with the media.
The first episode of the programme, which aired in 2021, included suggestions that negative stories about the Duchess of Sussex were leaked by courtiers and there was a competitiveness between households.
An accompanying podcast, Harry, Meghan And The Media, also presented by Rajan, claimed that Meghan Markle co-operated with author Omid Scobie on the Finding Freedom biography and “apologised for misleading a court on this”.
Rajan said on the podcast: “It has since been revealed that Meghan Markle co-operated with him (Scobie) on the project. She’s apologised for misleading a court on this.”
The duchess subsequently made a formal complaint to the BBC about the claims.
In December 2021 Rajan apologised in a statement on Twitter for the comments he made in the 2012 article.
He wrote: “In reference to very reasonable questions about some foolish commentary from a former life, I want to say I deeply regret it.
“I wrote things that were rude and immature and I look back on them now with real embarrassment, and ask myself what I was thinking, frankly.
“I would like to say sorry for any offence they caused then or now.
“I’m completely committed to impartiality and hope our recent programmes can be judged on their merits.”
Rajan was appointed the BBC’s media editor in November 2016 and officially assumed his role in December that year.
In 2017 he also became the host of The Media Show on Radio 4, taking over from Steve Hewlett, to examine the current state of the media each week.
Since joining the BBC, Rajan has provided holiday cover for a number of Radio 2 presenters, including Simon Mayo, Jeremy Vine and Zoe Ball.
He has also occasionally presented The One Show.
In 2021 Rajan joined Radio 4’s prestigious and long-running early-morning news and current-affairs show, the Today programme, as a presenter.
Has been married to Charlotte Faircloth since September 2013 and the couple have three children.