Latest news with #SamiraAhmed
Daily Mail
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
BBC Breakfast star announces extended break from show - and viewers are NOT happy
A BBC Breakfast star has announced an extended break from the show, and viewers were not happy one bit. Saturday's instalment of BBC Breakfast saw Naga Munchetty, 50, and Charlie Stayt, 63, cover the day's top headlines. Meanwhile the Newswatch segment was covered by journalist Samira Ahmed, 57. Newswatch covers the responses of viewers to the Beeb's coverage of events and news. The segment is broadcast during BBC News on Fridays at 11.30pm and on BBC Breakfast on Saturday's at 7.45am. At the end of Saturday's show, which saw Samira cover the BBC's Gaza documentary as well as coverage on the Gregg Wallace and John Torode scandal, the presenter shared an update. Samira revealed Newswatch would be taking a break and won't be on screens again until September. 'We are off the air for a few weeks now, but please do continue to get in touch with us over the summer and we'll be back with more of your thoughts about how the BBC covers news in the first week of September,' Samira said. However, some viewers weren't impressed with the coverage and one noted that it was a 'disappointing' final instalment. One penned on X: ' last one too.' Another said: 'Well, that was a waste of 10 minutes!! #BBCBreakfast.' 'Not this again. #bbcbreakfast,' someone else added. It comes after another BBC presenter announced an extended break from their show after an 'incredibly rare' cancer diagnosis last month. Bryan Burnett, 59, presents the early evening Get it On show on BBC Radio Scotland weekdays from 6pm. The broadcaster, from Abderdeen, revealed to his listeners that he had been diagnosed with appendiceal cancer earlier this year. It comes after BBC presenter Bryan Burnett (pictured) announced his extended break from his show Get it On after an 'incredibly rare' cancer diagnosis Appendiceal cancer, or appendix cancer, is a type of cancer that grows from cells in the appendix — a small finger-shaped pouch at the end of the large intestine. Bryan will undergo treatment including chemotherapy and abdominal surgery. While the host recovers, his step-in presenter will be Grant Stott. Bryan said: 'This is gonna be my last show for a wee while and I want to explain why that is. 'Unfortunately, I'm gonna have to take some time off the show to have some treatment for cancer.' He added: 'When they removed my appendix recently, they discovered a tumour and appendix cancer is incredibly rare but the good news is it is treatable but I do have to have some fairly hefty abdominal surgery next week.'
Daily Mirror
19-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
BBC Breakfast star bids farewell as she announces break and fans are fuming
BBC Breakfast regular Samira Ahmed made an important announcement on Saturday morning BBC Breakfast star Samira Ahmed bid farewell as she announced a show break, and fans are fuming. On Saturday's (July 19) edition of the popular morning programme, presenters Charlie Stayt and Naga Munchetty brought viewers up to speed with the latest news from across the UK and globally. Simon King was on hand to provide regular weather updates, while Mike Bushell took charge of the sports segment. During the broadcast, Charlie and Naga passed over to Newswatch host Samira, who delved into viewers' thoughts on recent BBC News coverage. BBC Newswatch is a weekly show offering viewers and listeners the opportunity to respond to BBC News, reports the Express. The programme airs on the UK feed of the BBC News channel on Friday evenings at 11:30pm, and Saturday mornings at 7:45am on BBC One during BBC Breakfast, or can be watched online. In today's segment, Samira engaged in conversation with former Head of BBC Television News, Roger Mosey, about the controversy surrounding a narrator of a BBC documentary on the Gaza conflict. The 57-year-old presenter also touched upon recent BBC bulletins regarding MasterChef hosts Gregg Wallace and John Torode being sacked from the show. At the end of the segment, Samira informed viewers that Newswatch would be taking a break for a few weeks, but reassured them that it would return to screens in September. "We are off the air for a few weeks now, but please do continue to get in touch with us over the summer and we'll be back with more of your thoughts about how the BBC covers news in the first week of September," she said. Viewers of the show didn't hesitate to voice their opinions on X (formerly Twitter) regarding the hiatus, with some expressing dissatisfaction with the content of today's programme. One viewer commented: "Well, that was a waste of 10 minutes," while another said: " last one too." A third remarked: "Not this again," and yet another echoed the sentiment, stating: "Newswatch spending way too long on one little whinge."
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
BBC News Presenters Back Demand For Strike Vote As Colleagues Face Compulsory Layoffs
EXCLUSIVE: BBC News presenters are among those calling on their union to hold a strike ballot over colleagues facing compulsory redundancy. In a letter seen by Deadline, nearly 80 BBC journalists have written to Laura Davison, general secretary of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ), demanding a vote on industrial action. High-profile signatories include presenters Martine Croxall, Samira Ahmed, and Kasia Madera. More from Deadline BBC To Charge U.S. Audiences For News For First Time BBC Boss Tim Davie Tells Staff Not To Fight With Their Families Over Gaza Output UK Culture Secretary Says BBC Should Not Platform Kneecap At Glastonbury: "This Is A Band That Has Thrived On The Oxygen Of Publicity" The letter comes after Deadline reported earlier this month that five seasoned BBC journalists, boasting more than 100 years of combined experience, have been told they will lose their jobs. There are also thought to be a handful of other compulsory redundancies planned on Asian Network News. The NUJ's policy is to ballot BBC union members for strike action if any fellow member is facing compulsory redundancy. However, the NUJ has so far not issued a ballot for those facing layoffs in this latest round of cuts. 'Compulsory redundancy was always a red line for the NUJ — why has that changed and since when?' the letter asked. 'Many of us have been NUJ members for decades — we are all alarmed that the fundamental principle of opposing CR [compulsory redundancy] is not being upheld.' The missive added that some of the journalists affected will be forced to leave the BBC by mid-August after being told by the corporation that redeployment is not an option. 'We are running out of time,' the BBC employees wrote. The NUJ declined to comment. Deadline understands that the BBC's position on redeployment is also contested, with those at risk of redundancy arguing that there are suitable alternative roles being advertised on the broadcaster's jobs board. Four senior BBC journalists have lodged age discrimination complaints as part of the redundancy dispute. The aggrieved employees are all over the age of 50 and have raised an internal complaint as a first step to pursuing an employment tribunal against the BBC. In a previous statement, a BBC News spokesperson said: 'Like all parts of the BBC, News needs to contribute to the savings announced last year. While we do not comment on individual staff issues, restructuring in BBC News is taking place according to established BBC policies; we conduct all processes in a thorough and fair manner, and we are committed to supporting our staff throughout, including through comprehensive redeployment assistance.' The layoffs are part of savings plans announced by BBC News last October. The division said it would cut 130 roles and cancel interview series HARDtalk as part of BBC-wide efforts to save £700M ($943M). BBC News CEO Deborah Turness acknowledged at the time that the changes were 'not easy.' Best of Deadline 'The Buccaneers' Season 2 Soundtrack: From Griff To Sabrina Carpenter 'The Buccaneers' Season 2 Release Schedule: When Do New Episodes Come Out? 'Nine Perfect Strangers' Season 2 Release Schedule: When Do New Episodes Come Out?
The Independent
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Donald Trump's niece ‘devastated' by uncle's election: ‘I knew it was going to be unspeakably awful'
Donald Trump's niece has said she was 'devastated' by her uncle's rise to power in 2016, and that foresaw his administration being 'unspeakably awful'. Mary Trump, a psychologist and writer, called the current US president 'pathetic', as she warned that he had 'never evolved' from the man she knew growing up as a child. She sat down with BBC journalist Samira Ahmed to discuss the rise of her uncleat the Hay Festival in Wales on Tuesday, which The Independent is once again partnering with. Describing her response to her uncle's first election win, she said: 'I handled the 2016 election badly. I was devastated by it. I took it really personally because I felt like the worst person on the planet was being elevated at the expense of better people. 'How I responded to the election prefigured how I responded to everything else [later in his term] because I knew it was going to be unspeakably awful. 'And I saw the specific policies and the ways in which those policies were designed to be cruel and to have a devastating impact on the most vulnerable people in the country.' She added: 'One of the reasons I took 2016 personally is because it felt like millions had voted to turn America into my family - which is a terrible idea.' She also spoke about the need for opponents to her uncle to organise together: 'My point of view is that I don't understand people who are afraid of Donald, because he's so pathetic. Seriously, I would be embarrassed to be afraid him. 'But it is his supporters and followers - who are willing to lay down their life for him and to make acts of violence on his behalf - who are the more worrisome group of people.' Ms Trump also spoke on Monday evening at the festival, on a panel alongside Baroness Rosie Boycott, Baroness Eluned Morgan, the first minister of Wales and leading US journalist McKay Coppins. Responding to Mr Coppins describing the US president's 'visceral anger' at elites because 'Manhattan's senate aristocracy always kind of laughed at him,' Ms Trump said: 'Donald is one of the most aggrieved people on the planet. 'And he feels like those grievances are legitimate. It goes deeper, but we see how it's playing out on institutions of higher learning. He's very insecure.' Ms Trump went on to say that his grievances went 'even deeper', explaining how he watched his father, Fred Trump, 'dismantle' his 'charming, funny, sensitive' older brother, Fred Trump Jr. 'His fear does stem from having witnessed what happened to my dad. The eldest son, who was supposed to be the heir to the Trump empire, who is deemed unworthy by their father,' she said. Hay Festival, which is spread over 11 days, is set in Hay-on-Wye, the idyllic and picturesque 'Town of Books'. The lineup includes Salman Rushdie, Michael Sheen, Jameela Jamil, and more. The Independent has partnered with the festival once again to host a series of morning panels titled The News Review, where our journalists will explore current affairs with leading figures from politics, science, the arts and comedy every morning.
Geek Girl Authority
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Girl Authority
New Release Radar: New Books Coming Out on May 13
There are a lot of new books coming out every week. With New Release Radar, I'll help you narrow down the week's new book releases into the titles you should get excited about. This week, I have 11 great new books to share with you, including some grimdark fantasies and a few novels that will make you care about high school sports like you never have before. Read on! The Devils by Joe Abercrombie Brother Diaz arrives in the Sacred City expecting praise and a holy calling. Instead, he's handed a mission fit for monsters. His new congregation includes murderers, heretics, and horrors cloaked in human skin, bound together for a holy task that will demand unholy bloodshed. As elven warbands prowl the borders and corrupt princes rot the realm from within, Diaz must place his faith in something darker than saints. Joe Abercrombie returns with The Devils , a blood-soaked, darkly hilarious epic that mashes grimdark fantasy with campy horror. This new book release is full of the morally gray characters, sharp action sequences and witty banter that Abercrombie does best. RELATED: New Release Radar: New Books Coming Out On May 6 Home Has No Borders edited by Samira Ahmed and Sona Charaipotra From first crushes to first heartbreaks, from tangled family ties to questions of belonging, Home Has No Borders is a vibrant anthology exploring race, class, language, and the many meanings of home. Edited by Samira Ahmed and Sona Charaipotra, it features an impressive lineup of acclaimed South Asian voices in YA, including Samira Ahmed, Nisha Sharma and Fatimah Asghar. This essential collection captures the joys, struggles, and complexity of growing up South Asian today. Fitting Indian by Jyoti Chand, illustrated by Tara Anand All Nitasha's parents want is for her to be the perfect Indian daughter—something she knows she'll never be. She's not her doctor older brother, she doesn't fit in at school, and even her best friend and crush seem to be slipping away. When the pressure becomes too much, Nitasha turns to alcohol, and then to self-harm. Will she ever be enough for her family – or even herself? Fitting Indian is this powerful graphic novel exploring the weight of expectations, the realities of mental illness and the strength it takes to ask for help. Jyoti Chand and illustrator Tara Anand have created a vital story about pain, healing and the power of being seen. RELATED: Book Review: Divining the Leaves A Sharp Endless Need by Marisa Crane Star point guard Mack Morris starts her senior year reeling from two life-changing events: her father's sudden death and the arrival of Liv Cooper, a talented transfer student with whom she shares undeniable chemistry – on and off the court. In their rural, 2004 Pennsylvania town, their deepening connection sparks more than just controversy. As grief, desire and pressure mount, Mack must navigate the volatile space between who she was and who she's becoming. Is she ready to fight for the future she wants, even if it means leaving everything else behind? A Sharp Endless Need combines sharp, exhilarating sports writing with a raw, heartfelt exploration of grief, identity and the choices that shape us. Marisa Crane's new book release is both a poignant coming-of-age novel and a love letter to basketball, perfect for anyone who has struggled to find their purpose. The Devil Three Times by Rickey Fayne When Yetunde awakens aboard a slave ship, the only voice she hears is her dead sister's—until the Devil makes her an offer. In exchange for a piece of his power, he will protect her, hoping that saving Yetunde and her descendants might earn him a way back into Heaven. Over the next 175 years, the Devil visits Yetunde's bloodline: conjure women, outcasts, brothers at war, mediums and dreamers, each facing a moment of crisis, each offered a chance at salvation. But as he intervenes in their lives, the Devil must confront his own fate. Can he be redeemed, or is damnation eternal? In an ambitious debut spanning eight generations, Rickey Fayne has made a name for himself as a new voice in American fiction. Told through vignettes of each family member, The Devil Three Times is perfect for readers who enjoy Zora Neale Hurston, Toni Morrison and Robert Jones, Jr. Immaculate Conception by Ling Ling Huang At art school, Enka is captivated by Mathilde, a brilliant, tormented artist on the brink of fame. As their intense friendship spirals into obsession, Enka will do anything to stay close, even marrying a billionaire whose family's empathy-enhancing tech could let her literally absorb Mathilde's trauma. But as the lines between their minds blur, Enka's fixation leads to disturbing consequences that shape their entire lives. Ling Ling Huang's new book release is a chilling, genre-bending story of art, identity and the cost of devotion. Immaculate Conception combines the fiercely competitive art world with cutting edge technology, resulting in a reflection of creativity, connection and consciousness. RELATED: Book Review: Luminous Anji Kills a King by Evan Leikam When castle servant Anji assassinates the king she hated, she sets off a kingdom-wide manhunt. Soon, she's the most wanted fugitive in the kingdom. Pursued by the magical, mask-wearing mercenaries of the Menagerie, she's captured by the Hawk, an aging swordswoman with her own motives for keeping Anji alive just long enough to claim the bounty. As they flee the deadly pursuit of the other mercenaries, their uneasy alliance may shape not only Anji's fate, but that of the entire kingdom. Gritty, dark fantasy fans will love Evan Leikam's debut. Anji Kills a King is fast-paced and well written, and will leave you hungry for book two. Death in the Cards by Mia P. Manansala High schooler Danika Dizon has a knack for solving problems—whether it's through tarot readings or tips picked up from her PI mom and mystery writer dad. But when a classmate disappears after drawing a death card, Danika finds herself in a real investigation, one that could finally prove she's ready to join the family business. With the missing girl's younger sister by her side, Danika uncovers a web of secrets darker than she expected – ones people are desperate to keep buried. Mia P. Manansala's YA debut has all of the humor (and murder) her fans have come to expect from the Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery series. Death in the Cards is a cozy mystery perfect for light summer reading. RELATED: 5 Cozy Mysteries Only Murders in the Building Fans Need to Check Out The Incandescent by Emily Tesh Doctor Walden may be one of the most powerful magicians in England. She spends her days, however, as Director of Magic at Chetwood Academy, corralling chaotic sixth-formers, attending endless meetings and holding back the demonic forces that threaten the school's ancient wards. She's brilliant, composed, and trusted to keep six hundred students safe. But demons are cunning, and Walden knows all too well the danger they pose – especially when the greatest threat may be the darkness she carries within. The Incandescent is a unique work of dark academia that examines an often-unseen side of the story: what the teachers are up to. Emily Tesh does a great job of balancing the administrative side of things with a constantly evolving magical mystery. RELATED: Read Our Full Review of The Incandescent The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong On a rainy summer night in East Gladness, Connecticut, 19-year-old Hai is about to jump from a bridge when a voice calls out from across the river – Grazina, an elderly widow slipping into dementia. Her unexpected intervention changes everything. With nowhere else to turn, Hai becomes Grazina's caretaker, and over the course of a year, the two form a profound bond. As they navigate memory, loss and forgiveness, their connection transforms Hai's understanding of himself, his fractured family and a struggling town on the edge of change. Ocean Vuong's new book release is a powerful novel about found family, unexpected friendship and the stories we tell ourselves to survive. Full of heart and empathy for those on the fringes of society, The Emperor of Gladness will linger with you long after you're done reading. One of the Boys by Victoria Zeller Grace Woodhouse's senior year is going to be a struggle. After coming out as trans, she lost her friends, her girlfriend and a Division 1 football scholarship. As her last year in high school begins, Grace is navigating the complexities of early transition and finding her footing in new social circles, all while struggling to move on from football. But when her incredible kicking skills become crucial, her old teammates convince her to return to the game. As an opportunity to play college football arises, Grace faces a tough choice: how much of herself is she willing to sacrifice for the sport she loves? Whether or not you ever did before, One of the Boys will make you care about football and nostalgic for high school. Victoria Zeller's debut is powerful, funny and a perfect underdog story. You can check out these new book releases at or your local bookstore. What May 13 new release are you most excited to read? Let us know below, and tune in next week to grow your TBR. Book Review: A SHARP ENDLESS NEED
