Nihal Arthanayake Biography
Nihal Arthanayake is a radio and television presenter from Sri Lanka who broadcasts on BBC Radio 5 Live. He provided the voiceover for the Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack.
How old is Nihal Arthanayake? – Age
He is 51 years old as of 1 June 2022. He was born in 1971 in Harlow, United Kingdom.
Nihal Arthanayake Family – Education
Nihal was born in Sri Lanka to Theravada Buddhist parents. While attending Burnt Mill School in Harlow, Essex, Nihal began his involvement in the music industry as a promoter of rap shows. He earned a BA (2:1) in History and English Literature from the Open University.
Nihal Arthanayake Wife
Arthanayake used to live in London’s Westbourne Park neighborhood. He relocated to Manchester in 2016 to work for BBC Five Live. He resides there with his wife and their two children, a son, and a daughter.
Nihal Arthanayake Net Worth
He has an estimated net worth of $3 million.
Nihal Arthanayake Books
Arthanayake has written for Asiana, Eastern Eye, The Face, Mixmag, Hip Hop Connection, Attitude, Bear magazine, Cage And Aviary Birds, and The Observer as a freelance music journalist.
Nihal Arthanayake Radio
In 2002, Nihal Arthanayake joined BBC Radio 1 and joined DJ Bobby Friction as co-host of an Asian Beats show at night. In 2003, the show received a Sony Radio Award, and in 2004, it released a compilation album. He became the Weekend Breakfast Show host on Radio 1 in October 2007, making him one of only two DJs to host both a mainstream and specialized show on the channel. He switched from weekend breakfast to a brand-new review show called BBC Radio 1’s Review With Nihal in September 2008. After Bobby Friction left, he became the sole host of the specialist Asian Beats show on Radio 1.
He left Kicking Off… in May 2007 to host the Asian Network’s daily phone-in talk show from 9:00 to 12:00. His show was moved to 13:00 to 15:30 in April 2009 as a result of changes to his schedule. At the UK Asian Music Awards (UK AMAs) in 2010, he won “Best Radio Show” and a Sony Award for Best Speech Program for his Asian Network show. He announced his departure from BBC Radio 1 in June 2014. He joined BBC Radio 5 Live in September 2016 to co-host the “Afternoon Edition” show with Sarah Brett.
Nihal Arthanayake TV Career
Nihal and Emma B first appeared on BBC2’s Webwise in 1999. He also hosted his own rap show, The Drop, on MTV Base, and The Saturday Show, which was three hours of live television each Saturday for the digital television channel CBBC: Extra.
Since 2004, Nihal has co-presented three seasons of Desi DNA, BBC2’s flagship Asian music, arts, and culture show. He interviewed Karsh Kale, Padma Lakshmi, Nerm, Outlandish, and DJ Pathaan and presented special features on Jay Sean, Ms. Scandalous, and Freeform Five.
He did a documentary for Channel 4 in November 2004 titled Where’s Your F*****G Manners? He appeared on BBC2’s Art School in August 2005 with celebrities Ulrika Jonsson and Keith Allen to learn about modern art and spend two weeks at the Chelsea School of Art.
After preparing a Thai chicken curry on rosti for the invention test on BBC2’s Celebrity Masterchef in 2010, Nihal was eliminated in the first round of the competition.
He is frequently asked to provide talking head commentary on a variety of music and culture-related topics on programs such as the BRIT Awards, The Culture Show, Channel 5’s The Wright Stuff, and MTV Base’s Hip Hop Candy. He has also served as a guest panelist on the music comedy quiz show Never Mind the Buzzcocks and on BBC Four’s We Need Answers. He has inside knowledge of the music industry.
Nihal made an appearance on the BBC’s House of Games in March 2021. He was a member of the BBC’s coverage team for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in July and August 2021. From Tokyo, he broadcast brief explanations of how some less well-known sports operate.