Kristiane Backer
Kristiane Backer
Kristiane Backer in 2018
Born (1965-12-13) 13 December 1965[1]
Hamburg, West Germany
NationalityGerman, British[1]
Occupation(s)TV presenter, journalist, author
Years active1987–present

Kristiane Verena Backer[1] (born 13 December 1965[1]) is a German art dealer with a previous career as a television presenter, journalist and author residing in London.

Biography

At the age of 15, Backer went to the United States as an exchange student for a year.[2][3]

From 1987 to 1989 Backer volunteered at the private radio station Radio Hamburg.[4][5]

In 1989 she moved to London to work at the then Europe-wide, exclusively English-language TV channel, MTV Europe.[5] Backer was the first German to present and VJ there and among the programmes she presented were The Coca-Cola Report, The European Top 20 and Awake on the Wild Side.[6][5] She remained there until 1996.[3] While still at MTV Europe, she created and moderated the youth program Bravo TV on the German TV channel RTL II from 1993–95.[5]

From 1996 to 1999 she presented the daily cultural programme The Ticket on NBC Europe.[5]

From 2000 to 2009, Backer continued to do TV presenting as well as voiceover work.[5] In 2005 she presented the in-flight music show for Emirate Airlines.[5]

For her work as a television presenter, Backer was awarded a Goldene Kamera award in 1994[7] and in 1993 and 1994 two Bravo Otto awards.[8][9]

Backer also hosts and presents conferences, business presentations, and galas throughout Europe.[9]

Personal life

In 1992, Backer began dating former Pakistani cricketer and now former prime minister Imran Khan.[10][11] He gave her books on Islam and took her travelling with him through Pakistan.[3] In 1995, she converted to Sunni Islam from Protestantism. The relationship ended after the three years. According to Backer, she and Khan were planning to get married and move to Skardu.[12][13][14]

She does not wear a headscarf at all times but insists that "women who cover themselves are not discriminated against but respected." In May 2009 she published the book From MTV to Mecca – How Islam Changed My Life

On 14 April 2006, she married the Moroccan television journalist Rachid Jaafar.[15] She and Jaafar later divorced.[15] Backer lives in London and works as a fine art consultant.[9]

Voice filmography

Publications

  • From MTV to Mecca: How Islam Inspired My Life, 2009; ISBN 978-1908129819
  • Der Islam als Weg des Herzens: Warum ich Muslima bin, 2010; ISBN 978-3-548-74511-4

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 ""Kristiane Verena BACKER - Personal Appointments"". Companies House.
  2. ↑ "Moderatoren - Kristiane Backer: Girl Number One - Medien". Süddeutsche.de (in German). Süddeutsche Zeitung. 15 June 2011. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 "Kristiane Backer on Islam and Imran Khan". YouTube. 22 Jul 2017. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  4. ↑ "Experts - Kristiane Backer". Forum for International Relations Development. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Kristiane Backer, German". Mandy.com. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  6. ↑ "From MTV to Mecca". The Bookseller. 5 September 2012. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  7. ↑ "GOLDENE KAMERA 1994 - 29. Verleihung - Chronik & Fakten". Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  8. ↑ "BRAVO OTTO - SIEGER 1994". bravo-archiv.de (in German). Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  9. 1 2 3 "Official website". Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  10. ↑ "Former German MTV host promotes Islam with new autobiography". Deutsche Welle. 7 July 2009. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  11. ↑ Akbar Ahmed (1 November 2017). "This Former MTV Icon Found Inner Peace Through Islam". Huffington Post. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  12. ↑ "Former German MTV host promotes Islam with new autobiography". dw-world.de. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
  13. ↑ "Kristiane Backer: from MTV to Mecca". spiegel.de. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
  14. ↑ "MTV-Diva Kristiane Backer". welt.de (in German). Retrieved 2 November 2016.
  15. 1 2 "Von MTV nach Mekka – Die Wandlung von Kristiane Backer". Rheinische Post (in German). 18 June 2009. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
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