Sima Kotecha
Born1980
Basingstoke, England
OccupationJournalist
Notable credit(s)Newsbeat
PM
Today programme

Sima Kotecha (born 1980, Basingstoke) is a British television and radio journalist working for the BBC in various roles since 2003, including within war zones.[1] Kotecha has served as the UK editor and as occasional presenter of Newsnight,[2][3] and as a stand in presenter on BBC Breakfast.[4]

Early years

Sima Kotecha was born in Basingstoke and attended Richard Aldworth School[5][6] Her parents are of Indian origin.[7] She went to Surrey University in Guildford and Goldsmiths College, University of London to study for her master's degree in media and communications.[8] Her first job was at BBC Radio Berkshire in 2003 and after that she took up an internship at the BBC's New York bureau. She worked for Talking Movies and BBC Radio 1's Newsbeat as their New York reporter[5] from 2005 to 2010. She later worked for the PM programme on Radio 4 and as a multimedia reporter for the same network's Today programme.

Career

In January 2017, she became the Midlands Correspondent of BBC News appearing regularly on television bulletins. She also presents the BBC One news bulletin at 8pm and has presented Radio 5 Live's Up All Night, 5 Live Breakfast and Drivetime and Newsday on the BBC World Service.

Kotecha has reported from Helmand Province in the conflict in Afghanistan while embedded with US Marines in Garmsiron for two weeks in December 2009.[8] She also covered the 2010 Haiti earthquake and the Syrian refugee crisis.[9] She also covered the 2008 US presidential election, and the Oscars on multiple occasions.

On location with her production team in Leicester in 2020, the crew and Kotecha were harassed while reporting live on the official COVID-19 guidelines.[9] Russell Rawlingson, who suffers from Bipolar Disorder[10] was arrested and charged, he duly attended his sentencing hearing at Leicester Crown Court on 28 May 2021, where he had pleaded guilty to threatening behaviour - he denied any racial element, his plea was accepted by Judge William Harbage QC[6] and the Crown Prosecution Service, prosecutor. Kotecha was reported as saying she did not wish the case to go to trial.[11] Philip Plant from the CPS, consulted with Kotecha prior to the court hearing.[12] On the direction of the sentencing Judge, Rawlingson was detained under S.37 of the Mental Health Act, imposing a "Hospital Order" with the prospect of future release, at his doctors discretion, upon successful completion of his prescribed treatment.[6]

Kotecha regularly reports for BBC Newsnight out on location and occasionally presents the current affairs programme from the studio, if the main regular presenters are unavailable. She was in the Newsnight chair for the first broadcast of 2023, on 4 January.

References

  1. ↑ "When I Was 25 - Sima Kotecha | This week on 'When I was 25', Vinny Hurrell speaks to the editor of BBC Newsnight, Sima Kotecha, who reflects on being a journalist in war zones. | By BBC Radio Ulster | Facebook". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  2. ↑ "https://mobile.twitter.com/bbcnewsnight/status/1468946368786046979?lang=en". Twitter. Retrieved 4 January 2023. {{cite web}}: External link in |title= (help)
  3. ↑ "https://twitter.com/sima_kotecha/status/1610351821876506626". Twitter. Retrieved 4 January 2023. {{cite web}}: External link in |title= (help)
  4. ↑ "BBC Breakfast disrupted by equipment 'collapse'". The Independent. 1 August 2022.
  5. 1 2 "Reporter Profiles: Sima Kotecha". BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  6. 1 2 3 Mack, Tom (28 May 2021). "Man in BBC Covid rant sent to mental hospital indefinitely". LeicestershireLive. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  7. ↑ "Indian-origin BBC reporter Sima Kotecha faces racist abuse in UK". Business Standard India. Press Trust of India. 28 June 2016. Retrieved 5 February 2021 – via Business Standard.
  8. 1 2 Gregory, Chris (19 February 2020). "Local girl bringing you the latest global news". Basingstoke Gazette. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  9. 1 2 Simpson, Craig (12 May 2020). "Man denies racially abusing BBC journalist Sima Kotecha". The Telegraph. London. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  10. ↑ "Journalists asked to share stories of abuse in government safety drive". the Guardian. 1 June 2021. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  11. ↑ "Man admits harassing BBC reporter Sima Kotecha". BBC News. 15 April 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
  12. ↑ Gibson, Suzy (13 April 2021). "Threatening' man stopped BBC live broadcast in Leicester city centre". Leicester Mercury. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
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