# Nikki Bedi
**Nikki Bedi** is a British television and radio presenter who curates, writes and presents *The Arts Hour*, the [BBC World Service](https://www.edgepedia.org/bbc-world-service)'s flagship arts and culture program, and its monthly touring edition, *The Arts Hour on Tour*.[1](https://www.nikkibedi.com/biography) Born in [Aylesbury](https://www.edgepedia.org/aylesbury) to an Indian father and an English mother, she began her media career in Mumbai as a stage and film actress before moving into presenting on [Channel 4](https://www.edgepedia.org/channel-4) and Star TV, and later built a long-running career across BBC radio and television.[1](https://www.nikkibedi.com/biography) • [2](https://punjab2000.com/nikki-bedi/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Current role | Curator, writer and presenter of *The Arts Hour* on the BBC World Service, and of the monthly *Arts Hour on Tour*[1](https://www.nikkibedi.com/biography) |
| Background | Born in Aylesbury to an Indian father and English mother; began her career in Mumbai as a stage and film actress[1](https://www.nikkibedi.com/biography) • [2](https://punjab2000.com/nikki-bedi/) |
| Breakthrough shows | *Bombay Chat* (Channel 4, 1994) and *Nikki Tonight* (Star TV, 1996), described as Asia's most widely viewed and most controversial talk show[3](https://www.nikkibedi.com/credits) |
| BBC radio start | Joined the BBC Asian Network in May 2004, presenting the weekend show *Hot Breakfast*[2](https://punjab2000.com/nikki-bedi/) |
| Other BBC work | Presenter of *Front Row* on BBC Two, regular on Radio 4's *Loose Ends*, and presenter of Radio 4's *Saturday Live*[4](https://centreforlondon.org/person/nikki-bedi/) • [5](https://prsfoundation.com/nikki-bedi/) |
| Audience reach | She has said the program can reach potentially around 96 million people[1](https://www.nikkibedi.com/biography) • [5](https://prsfoundation.com/nikki-bedi/) • [6](https://www.romania-insider.com/arts-hour-bicharest-nikki-bedi-feb-2025) |
## Early life and acting career
Bedi was born in Aylesbury and now lives in Birmingham, but her media career began in Mumbai.[2](https://punjab2000.com/nikki-bedi/) Born to an Indian father and an English mother, she worked there as both a stage and film actress with what her biography describes as some of India's finest directors.[1](https://www.nikkibedi.com/biography)
Her move into presenting came when Channel 4 gave her the talk show *Bombay Chat*, an on-location celebrity show broadcast in 1994.[1](https://www.nikkibedi.com/biography) • [3](https://www.nikkibedi.com/credits) Its success led Star TV in Asia to give her a primetime chat show, *Nikki Tonight*, first broadcast in 1996; her own credits page describes it as Asia's most widely viewed and most controversial talk show.[1](https://www.nikkibedi.com/biography) • [3](https://www.nikkibedi.com/credits) A profile in the *Times of India* from that period identifies her as the wife of the actor [Kabir Bedi](https://www.edgepedia.org/kabir-bedi).[7](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/bombay-times/where-is-nikki-tonight/articleshow/933099.cms)
## Return to the United Kingdom
After spending time living and working in Los Angeles, Bedi returned to the UK in 2000 and became the face of Universal's film channel *The Studio*, where she hosted the channel's flagship movie show *The Studio News* from 2002, and presented the live movie show *Worldwide Screen* on NOW TV.[1](https://www.nikkibedi.com/biography) • [2](https://punjab2000.com/nikki-bedi/) • [3](https://www.nikkibedi.com/credits) Her television credits through the 2000s include hosting the late-night topical talk show *The Last Word* for Central in 2003, presenting the [BBC Two](https://www.edgepedia.org/bbc-two) arts and culture show *Desi DNA* from 2006 to 2008, and appearing as a panellist on [BBC One](https://www.edgepedia.org/bbc-one)'s *Sunday Morning Live* between 2013 and 2016.[3](https://www.nikkibedi.com/credits)
## BBC radio
Bedi began her BBC radio broadcasting career at the [BBC Asian Network](https://www.edgepedia.org/bbc-asian-network) in May 2004, presenting the station's weekend show *Hot Breakfast*; she went on to host the daily live entertainment and news show *Drive with Nikki Bedi* in 2005 and a daily entertainment show through 2009.[2](https://punjab2000.com/nikki-bedi/) • [3](https://www.nikkibedi.com/credits) She joined BBC Radio London (then BBC London 94.9) in 2010, hosting weekend and weekday music and entertainment shows including *The Nikki Bedi Show* and, from 2013, *The Nikki Bedi Weekend Show*.[3](https://www.nikkibedi.com/credits) Her Radio 4 work has included presenting *Woman's Hour* from 2015 to 2017, contributing to *A Good Read*, and serving as a regular interviewer and presenter on *Loose Ends*.[3](https://www.nikkibedi.com/credits) • [1](https://www.nikkibedi.com/biography) More recently she became a presenter of Radio 4's *Saturday Live*.[5](https://prsfoundation.com/nikki-bedi/)
## The Arts Hour
Since 2013 Bedi has been the curator, writer and presenter of *The Arts Hour* on the BBC World Service, a weekly showcase of arts, culture and entertainment stories drawn from across the BBC and other broadcasters.[3](https://www.nikkibedi.com/credits) • [8](https://www.kvpr.org/show/the-arts-hour) She describes the role as that of a conduit between artists and creatives across the world, telling their stories on the World Service, and has said the program can reach potentially around 96 million people.[6](https://www.romania-insider.com/arts-hour-bicharest-nikki-bedi-feb-2025) Guests on the program have included actor [Russell Crowe](https://www.edgepedia.org/russell-crowe), artist [Ai Weiwei](https://www.edgepedia.org/ai-weiwei), actress [Lucy Liu](https://www.edgepedia.org/lucy-liu), comedian and actor Rebel Wilson, and director Spike Lee.[8](https://www.kvpr.org/show/the-arts-hour)
Once a month the program becomes *The Arts Hour on Tour*, which travels to a different city to record a debate before a studio audience with that country's leading artists and creatives; Bedi has recorded the touring edition in more than 50 cities.[1](https://www.nikkibedi.com/biography) • [6](https://www.romania-insider.com/arts-hour-bicharest-nikki-bedi-feb-2025) A 2025 edition was recorded in [Bucharest](https://www.edgepedia.org/bucharest) with guests including filmmaker Bogdan Mureșanu, actor and director Alina Șerban, and singer-songwriter [Irina Rimes](https://www.edgepedia.org/irina-rimes).[6](https://www.romania-insider.com/arts-hour-bicharest-nikki-bedi-feb-2025)
## Television presenting and other work
Bedi presented the first series of *Front Row* when the arts program moved from Radio 4 to BBC Two television on Saturday evenings, alongside restaurant critic [Giles Coren](https://www.edgepedia.org/giles-coren) and the BBC's media editor [Amol Rajan](https://www.edgepedia.org/amol-rajan).[4](https://centreforlondon.org/person/nikki-bedi/) • [9](https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/uk/find-theatre-stressful-then-you-could-be-just-what-the-bbc-is-looking-for-1.3229636) Her credits also list presenting the BBC World News global arts show *The Heart of...* in 2014 and 2015, and current affairs work on BBC One's *Inside Out* in 2016 and 2017.[3](https://www.nikkibedi.com/credits) She is an in-demand moderator and awards host, and has been a panellist on BBC Two's *QI*, on which she was the first panellist to speak in Hindi.[10](https://houseofsistersgrimm.com/events/in-conversation-nikki-bedi-with-ella-spira-mbe-pietra-mello-pittman-mbe-founders-of-sisters-grimm/)
She describes herself as "glocal", meaning both global and local, a framing that covers her World Service work and her Sunday morning show on BBC Radio London.[1](https://www.nikkibedi.com/biography) Her international profile has led to her being described as a "cultural courier who is de-colonising the world one programme at a time".[5](https://prsfoundation.com/nikki-bedi/)
## References
1. [Biography, nikki-bedi.com](https://www.nikkibedi.com/biography)
2. [Nikki Bedi, Punjab2000.com](https://punjab2000.com/nikki-bedi/)
3. [Credits, nikki-bedi.com](https://www.nikkibedi.com/credits)
4. [Nikki Bedi, Centre for London](https://centreforlondon.org/person/nikki-bedi/)
5. [Nikki Bedi, PRS for Music Foundation](https://prsfoundation.com/nikki-bedi/)
6. [A slice of Romanian arts, culture, and entertainment: Broadcaster Nikki Bedi on BBC's upcoming Arts Hour on Tour program in Bucharest, Romania Insider](https://www.romania-insider.com/arts-hour-bicharest-nikki-bedi-feb-2025)
7. [Where is Nikki tonight?, Times of India](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/bombay-times/where-is-nikki-tonight/articleshow/933099.cms)
8. [The Arts Hour, KVPR](https://www.kvpr.org/show/the-arts-hour)
9. [Find theatre stressful? Then you could be just what the BBC is looking for, The Irish Times](https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/uk/find-theatre-stressful-then-you-could-be-just-what-the-bbc-is-looking-for-1.3229636)
10. [In Conversation: Nikki Bedi with Ella Spira MBE & Pietra Mello-Pittman MBE, House of Sisters Grimm](https://houseofsistersgrimm.com/events/in-conversation-nikki-bedi-with-ella-spira-mbe-pietra-mello-pittman-mbe-founders-of-sisters-grimm/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Broadcasting and journalism › Broadcast organizations and stations › Broadcasters as people › Broadcast journalists and news presenters › British broadcast journalists and news presenters*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license