Shefali Oza
| Shefali Oza | |
|---|---|
| Born |
24 September 1967 Mumbai, India |
| Occupation | News presenter |
| Years active | 1993–present |
Shefali Oza (born 24 September 1967) is the main weather presenter on BBC Birmingham's Midlands Today, the regional news programme broadcast in the Midlands of England, but also carries out some news presentation work. She began her career with the team as Midlands Today's first ever weather presenter in January 1993.
Career
Oza is said to have been "discovered at an audition day" which had been organised by the BBC's Multi-Cultural Programmes Unit, who were actually in search of new faces for Network East.
Oza was one of the first frequent Asian faces on television in the region. Since joining Midlands Today in 1993 her role has included producing weather-related news and community features. One of her reports was as a result of becoming the first female civilian to spend a week on the Royal Navy submarine HMS Splendid. She was awarded an Honorary Masters from University College Worcester in recognition of her achievements in broadcasting.
Along with weather reporting and news presenting, Oza has fronted regional contributions to the BBC's live national programming and campaigns such as Children in Need.
Personal life
Oza's father is a GP based in Nottingham. Before beginning her media career, she trained as a solicitor.
During her time on Midlands Today, Oza met her husband Jamie Knights, who worked as her cameraman. Their wedding ceremony was featured on the news programme. The couple later divorced.
She currently resides in Birmingham.