This week’s guest is someone who many of us will feel we already know. A calm and trusted presence in our living rooms each evening, she’s one of the most familiar faces in British broadcasting - BBC News presenter, correspondent, and author, Reeta Chakrabarti.

Raised in Birmingham, Reeta spent part of her teenage years in Calcutta, India - an experience that would later shape her global perspective both as a journalist and a writer.

Her career has taken her all over the world, from covering the war in Ukraine from Lviv, to reporting on the 70th anniversary of Indian and Pakistani independence and most recently, covering the Pope's funeral from Rome. She began her career behind the scenes in radio before making the leap to become a correspondent, and finally landing in the iconic BBC News presenting chair - at the age of 49, no less. Proof that there’s no one path to success and it’s never too late to pivot.

Her travel diaries today take us from Italy to Chile, Greece to India and much more.

Destination Recap:

Holly -

• Cothelstone Manor, Somerset, England

Reeta -

• Calcutta, India
• Rome, Italy
• St Peter’s Basilica, Rome, Italy
• Castel Sant’Angelo, Rome, Italy
• Lahore, Pakistan
• Santiago, Chile
• Valparaiso, Chile
• France
• Lviv, Ukraine
• Paris, France
• Taj Mahal, Agra, India
• Amorgos, Greece
• Brazil
• Argentina

Finding Belle by Reeta Chakrabarti, published by HarperFiction, out in hardback, ebook and audio on 8th May

*COMPETITION*

For your chance to win a 3 night all inclusive stay at LUXME hotel on the Greek island of Kos, head to my Instagram @hollyrubenstein. The winner will be announced on May 20th, T&Cs apply!

With thanks to my sponsors today -

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Thanks so much for listening today. If you want to be the first find out who is joining me on next week’s episode come and follow me on Instagram I’m @hollyrubenstein, and you’ll also find me on TikTok.

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