Anita Rani was born on 25 October 1977 in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. She is of Punjabi Sikh heritage, and her parents emigrated from India to the UK, where she was raised.

She attended Bradford Girls’ Grammar School and later studied broadcasting at the University of Leeds, where she developed her passion for media and journalism.

Rani began her career in radio and youth television, working on BBC Asian Network and presenting shows aimed at younger audiences before moving into mainstream broadcasting.

She gained widespread recognition as a presenter on Countryfile on BBC One, joining the programme in 2015 and covering environmental, cultural, and rural stories across the UK.

Beyond Countryfile, she has fronted major documentaries, including My Family, Partition and Me, and remains a prominent BBC presenter. She lives in London and continues her media career.