Anjali Rao

Career

Prior to joining CNN, Rao worked as a producer and reporter at Hong Kong's Wharf Cable Television and at Channel 7 in Melbourne, Australia. She went on to present and report at Star TV where she won the top prize at the 2004 Amnesty International Human Rights Press Awards. In 2009, she was named Best Current Affairs Presenter at the Asian Television Awards.

Anjali is best known in the UK as a former presenter for Sky News and Channel 5 news.

Rao was an anchor for CNN International, from January 2006 until August 2011. She presented CNN Asia's morning HKT edition of World Report, where she would frequently presenting the 6 am, 7 am, or 12 pm editions, live from the television network's Asia news headquarters in Hong Kong. She also fronted CNN's flagship chat show TalkAsia, interviewing household names such as Bill Clinton, the Dalai Lama, A. R. Rahman, Rihanna, Kevin Spacey, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Karl Lagerfeld.

In mid-2011, Rao resigned from CNN. A few days later it was reported that she was "anxious to explore new opportunities in television" and that she wanted to work on lifestyle programming.

In February 2013, Rao was appointed presenter of Dateline on Australia's SBS, replacing Yalda Hakim. Anjali remained in the role until she resigned in 2014 to focus on a new challenge.

Anjali has also been a regular guest panelist on Network Ten's The Project and Studio 10 filling in for Sarah Harris whenever she is away.

Personal life

Born in Hong Kong, Rao was educated mainly in the UK at Cobam Hall school, Kent, The King's School Canterbury, Kent, and at London's City University, where she earned a bachelor's degree with Honours in Sociology and Media Studies in c. Her father was Indian doctor from a Bangalore family but born in Burma. He died at 55. Her mother, Cynthia, is from Bendigo, Victoria, Australia and now lives in the UK.

Rao lives in, Melbourne, Australia with her partner, Melbourne musician Matt. She has one son from a previous marriage.