Escape To The Country’s Sonali Shah poses with very-rarely seen young daughter in sweet snap

Sonali Shah, a well-known face on our screens, has presented shows like Newsround and Escape to the Country. But when the cameras stop rolling, Sonali leads an intriguing life, from her private family life to penning children’s books and showcasing an impressive talent.

The BBC presenter, 44, is happily married to Adarsh Shah and they have two children, Ariana and Rafi, born in 2013 and 2016 respectively. The family, who reside in London, keep their personal life private, but Sonali has shared a few glimpses, including an adorable newborn photo of Ariana on Instagram to mark International Daughters Day in 2020.

She captioned the photo: “I took this photo almost 7 years ago… Ariana used to sleep on my shoulder… now she rests her head on my shoulder when she stands so tall next to little ol’ me. My mum is right, there’s nothing quite like having a daughter.”

In an interview with Baby Magazine, Sonali described motherhood as a “rollercoaster”, saying: “I know it’s a cliche expression but life as a mum is the ultimate rollercoaster especially because I’m a working mum.”

She spoke about the chaos of getting ready for work and the precious moments she gets to relax and appreciate her life. Sonali also spoke to the Express about her wedding day, revealing she wore two dresses, which she designed herself during a two-week trip to Mumbai.

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She said: “I spent two weeks in Mumbai and designed them myself. Saris are the closest things I have to couture.”

Sonali grew up in Edgware, London and was raised by her parents who migrated from India, along with her younger brother Amal. She attended Longfield First and Middle School, followed by Whitmore High School in Harrow.

She later pursued broadcast journalism at Nottingham Trent University. After completing her degree, she joined the BBC World Service as a producer in 2002 and started presenting on The World Today and World Business Report.

Since then, she’s hosted numerous shows like Sportsround, BBC’s coverage of the 2011 Cricket World Cup, Commonwealth Games and BBC One’s British Olympic Dreams. From her time on TV, Sonali has made a host of celebrity friends including Strictly Come Dancing stars Janette Manrara and Aljaz Skorjanec, along with Nicki Chapman, the late Jonnie Irwin and Jules Hudson.

But there’s more to Sonali than just presenting – she’s also a dancer, having trained for over a decade. The 44 year old specialises in street dance, Indian classical and Indian folk dance.

The Newsround presenter is certainly a talented dancer as she performed to Outkast’s Hey Ya! on BBC’s Let’s Dance for Comic Relief. Although she didn’t make it to the final with co-presenter Ore Oduba, she still enjoys dancing and occasionally shares her moves on Instagram.

In addition to her presenting work, Sonali has also written a children’s book. Taking to social media with a burst of excitement, she shared: “Popped into @waterstonestrafsq over the weekend to see if #TheBestDiwaliEver is actually IRL bookshops…I had to see it to actually believe it…was a proper pinch me moment..”

She couldn’t contain her joy as she announced: “I HAVE WRITTEN A BOOK AND IT’S IN AN ACTUAL BOOKSHOP.” Her debut, titled The Best Diwali Ever, spins the tale of a girl on a mission to win the rangoli competition and have the most fabulous Diwali celebration.

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