Behnaz Akhgar ( fa, بهناز اخگر; born 21 June 1980 ) is an Iranian-

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

weather presenter currently working for BBC's

Wales Today ''BBC Wales Today'' is the BBC's national television news programme for Wales, broadcast on BBC One Wales from the headquarters of BBC Cymru Wales in Central Square, Cardiff. According to the BBC, it is the world's longest-running television new ...

. She broadcasts the morning and weekend bulletins with

Sue Charles Sue Charles is a Welsh TV and weather presenter for BBC Wales. Sue presents the morning and weekend weather broadcasts for ''Wales Today,'' as well as acting as a relief weather presenter for meteorologist Derek Brockway. Born and educated in Lla ...

, and acts as a relief presenter for meteorologist

Derek Brockway Derek Clifford Brockway (born 29 October 1967) is a Welsh meteorologist. After 30 years of being employed by the Met Office he joined the BBC in October 2016. Brockway is based at BBC Cymru Wales in Cardiff, Wales and presents weather forecasts ...

. Behnaz, often called Benni, is from a Persian-Welsh background; her first language is Persian. She entered the

Miss Wales Miss Wales is a national beauty pageant in Wales. Rules Miss Wales is open to unmarried women from age 16 to age 24, and is organized by Vibe Models. Contestants must not have had children, must be British citizens and must reside in Wales. ...

pageant in 1998.

Early life

Akhgar was born in Shiraz, Iran. When she arrived in Britain she spoke no English. She moved to Swansea when she was 10 years old, attended Terrace Road School, then Dynevor Comprehensive School (where coincidentally her parents opened a shop around the corner from there named "Dagwood's") and has lived in Wales since. She attended the University of Glamorgan where she gained a BA in communication studies, followed by a postgraduate diploma in broadcast journalism at

Cardiff University , latin_name = , image_name = Shield of the University of Cardiff.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms of Cardiff University , motto = cy, Gwirionedd, Undod a Chytgord , mottoeng = Truth, Unity and Concord , established = 1 ...

Career

Akhgar joined the BBC in 2001, working behind the scenes before becoming a picture editor and

video journalist Video journalism or videojournalism is a form of journalism, where the journalist shoots, edits and often presents his or her own video material. Background A predecessor to video journalism first appeared in the 1960s in the USA, when reporters h ...

. During this time, she applied for weather-presenting jobs, landing her current role in 2008 – on her third attempt. Akhgar presents the morning and weekend weather bulletins with Sue Charles, and acts as a relief presenter for meteorologist Derek Brockway. She also presents regular bulletins on BBC Radio Wales throughout the day. She has described the harassment she experiences as a female forecaster from "geeks" who complain about her glamorous appearance. Akhgar has also broadcast features on the BBC World Service about the plight of women in the developing world. In 2016, she appeared on the BBC One programme "Search For A*" alongside other celebrities Wynne Evans and Omar Hamdi. In January 2021, Akhgar replaced

Eleri Siôn Eleri Siôn (; born Eleri Jones on 18 January 1971) is a Welsh radio and television presenter. Early life Born and raised on a farm in Neuaddlwyd, Aberaeron, she was educated at Ysgol Gyfun Aberaeron. Her brother is the actor and author Meilyr ...

as the presenter of the afternoon show on BBC Radio Wales from Monday to Thursday.

References

External links

''Behnaz Akhgar''
(BBC Radio Wales) {{DEFAULTSORT:Akhgar, Behnaz BBC weather forecasters Welsh television presenters Welsh women television presenters Welsh people of Iranian descent Living people Year of birth uncertain People from Shiraz People from Swansea Iranian emigrants to Wales Alumni of the University of Glamorgan Alumni of Cardiff University 1980 births