Rajan Datar

Rajan Datar is a British journalist and broadcaster. He presents Over to You on the BBC World Service and the Travel Show on BBC News (international TV channel). He is also a ska musician.

Datar was born in southwest London.^[1] Datar attended Hampton Grammar School in the city.^[2]

Datar attended the University of Oxford for his university undergraduate education, where he studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics. He then completed a Masters degree in Political Sociology at the London School of Economics and Political Science.^[2]

Datar started working at the BBC as a trainee radio journalist following his university education. He then trained in production/directing in television at the corporation.^[3]

In the early 1990s, Datar presented Rough Guide to the World on BBC Two. He also reported for BBC Radio 1's Newsbeat in the mid-1990s.^[4] In 1994, he presented The People's Parliament on Channel 4and he reported for Newsnight in 1996 and 1997.^[1]

As of 2001, Datar presented The Money Programme on BBC Two.^[5] As of 2005, he remained a presenter of the programme.^[6] In 2010, he reported for How to Beat Tough Times: Money Watch on BBC Two.^[7]

As of 2022, Datar also presented The Forum on the BBC World Service.^[1] Until 2024, Datar co-presented with Sally Gray MBE PresenterPod, a programme offering advice and information to aspiring and current television and radio presenters.^[8] From at least 2009^[9] to the present,^[10] he has presented Over to You, the BBC World Service programme allowing listeners to share their feedback about the station's programmes. He has presented the Travel Show on BBC News;^[11] he also presented the programme's predecessor, fast:track. In 2012, Datar was named the Broadcast Travel Journalist of the Year 2012 at the Business Travel Awards.^[12] By 2015, Datar had visited more than 50 countries for fast:track and the Travel Show.^[3]

In 2023, Datar MCd the closing and opening sessions at the Global Leaders Summit presented by the World Tourism Association for Culture and Heritage.^[13] He is a regular moderator for major organisations' conferences.^[14]

Datar contributed to Saturday Review on BBC Radio 4, prior to the programme stopping being broadcast.^[15] Datar also presented The Strand, an arts programme on the BBC World Service which stopped being broadcast in 2013.^[16]

In the 1980s, Datar and his friend, the musician Deuan German, co-founded in London Maroon Town, a ska band. Their music was featured on John Peel's BBC Radio 1 programme. As of mid-2025, the band continues to play music.^[17] The events they have played at include WemsFest 2025.^[18]