Sabet Choudhury: The Journalist Who Made His Mark on British Television

Introduction

Sabet Choudhury is a British journalist and television presenter. Many viewers know him as Seb Choudhury. He is one of the familiar faces of ITV News West Country.

His career began in local newspapers. Then came radio, BBC television, and ITV. He spent 17 years with BBC Points West before moving to ITV in October 2022.

His story goes beyond television news. Born in Bangladesh and raised in England, he has spoken openly about his childhood, cultural background, and the personal experiences that influenced his reporting.

In September 2025, he received the Sir Ambrose Fleming Memorial Award from the Royal Television Society. It recognised his contribution to regional television.

Quick Facts About Sabet Choudhury

Detail	Information
Full Name	Sabet Choudhury
Also Known As	Seb Choudhury
Birth Country	Bangladesh
Nationality	British
Profession	Journalist and television presenter
Known For	BBC Points West and ITV News West Country
Raised In	Bury and Stonehouse, Gloucestershire
School	Maidenhill School
Further Education	Wycliffe College
Journalism Training	Camborne College of Mining
Wife	Kate
Mother	Sakina Choudhury
Father’s Profession	Surgeon
Previous Employer	BBC
Current Known Employer	ITV News West Country
Joined ITV	October 2022
Major Award	Sir Ambrose Fleming Memorial Award (2025)

Early Life and Childhood

Sabet Choudhury was born in Bangladesh. He moved to Britain aged two.

His family first lived in Bury, Greater Manchester. His father worked as a surgeon.

Life changed again when he was eight. The family moved to Stonehouse, a small town near Stroud in Gloucestershire.

He spent much of his childhood there.

In a 2025 interview with The Bath Magazine, he recalled that his was the first Asian family living in Stonehouse at the time.

Growing up brought mixed experiences. He made friends and developed a strong connection with the area. But he also experienced racial abuse.

Those moments stayed with him.

He has spoken about the confusion of facing prejudice as a child. Still, his memories of Gloucestershire include friendships, cricket, and a real sense of belonging.

His family also maintained connections with Bangladesh. They travelled back to visit, and his mother encouraged the children to understand their heritage.

Education and Journalism Training

His education began in Gloucestershire.

He attended Maidenhill School in Stonehouse before moving to Wycliffe College.

Cricket became part of school life. It was a sport he already loved.

But journalism became his profession.

He later studied newspaper journalism at the Camborne College of Mining in Cornwall.

That training gave him practical reporting skills. He learned how to find stories, gather information, and write for readers.

It was a simple beginning. Local reporting came first.

Those early lessons helped him build a career that would eventually take him onto national and regional television.

How His Journalism Career Started

His first professional work was in newspapers.

During the 1990s, he worked at the Stroud News & Journal, covering stories in the area where he grew up.

He also spent time freelancing for the Falmouth Packet in Cornwall.

Local newspapers were a good training ground. Reporters had to speak with ordinary people, check their facts, and meet deadlines.

He learned the job directly.

Soon, radio offered another opportunity.

He worked with BBC Radio Gloucestershire and later BBC Radio 5 Live. His credits included Up All Night and the station’s breakfast programme.

Radio gave him a different challenge.

He had to explain stories clearly. Listeners could not see what was happening, so every word mattered.

He continued building his broadcasting experience. Then came his move into television.

The Big Break at BBC Points West

In 2005, Choudhury joined BBC Points West.

His first contract lasted three months. Yet that short opportunity became a long career with the broadcaster.

It wasn’t an easy start.

At a Royal Television Society event in 2025, he recalled struggling with a piece-to-camera recording during his BBC job interview.

A colleague named Nigel Chesson helped him get through it. They kept trying until they had a usable recording.

That moment mattered.

He went on to become a reporter and presenter on BBC Points West, covering stories across Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset, and surrounding areas.

Viewers came to recognise his reporting style.

He spoke with residents, covered regional events, and explained difficult news stories.

His work at the BBC lasted around 17 years.

Other BBC Programmes

His career was not limited to one news programme.

He also worked on:

• BBC Breakfast
• The One Show
• Springwatch
• Inside Out West
• BBC Radio 5 Live
• The Victoria Derbyshire programme

These assignments gave him opportunities to cover different subjects.

Some stories were serious investigations. Others focused on everyday life and unusual local traditions.

That range became a familiar part of his television work.

Investigative Journalism and Documentaries

Choudhury has reported on difficult subjects throughout his career.

He presented BBC’s Inside Out West, a programme focused on regional investigations and public-interest stories.

His reporting included homelessness, organ trafficking, and working conditions for delivery drivers.

He also examined social issues affecting minority communities.

These reports often required sensitive interviews. The people involved were dealing with real problems.

He had to earn their trust.

Organ Donation and Transplant Reporting

One of his most personal stories involved his own family.

His mother suffered kidney failure. She needed regular dialysis treatment and faced serious health problems.

Choudhury decided to donate one of his kidneys to her.

He also documented his experience for television.

The reporting considered organ donation, the shortage of suitable donors, and the problems faced by some ethnic minority patients.

It was deeply personal.

His mother lived for several more years following the transplant. She died in 2022.

The experience gave his organ donation reporting a personal connection that few journalists could claim.

Joining ITV News West Country

A major career change came in 2022.

After 17 years at the BBC, he left BBC Points West during the summer.

ITV announced his appointment on 3 October 2022.

He joined ITV News West Country as a presenter of its flagship regional news programmes.

His first scheduled broadcast was on 17 October 2022.

At first, he presented alongside Eli-Louise Wringe.

The move kept him in a region he knew well. Much of his life had been spent in the South West, so the people and places were familiar.

He brought years of reporting experience.

At ITV, his work continued to cover regional news, local communities, and subjects affecting people across the West Country.

The broadcaster has continued to identify him as one of its main regional presenters.

Important Reporting at ITV

His work at ITV has included major community stories.

He reported on the impact of the 2024 anti-immigration riots through a documentary titled Disunited Kingdom?, published in May 2025.

The programme examined tensions and experiences within affected communities.

He also worked on the story of former England and Gloucestershire cricketer David “Syd” Lawrence, who was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 2024.

Lawrence died in 2025.

For Choudhury, cricket was a familiar subject. He had played the sport since childhood and understood its place in local communities.

His television work has also covered lighter subjects, including cheese rolling and other unusual sporting traditions.

That variety says something about regional news.

One day, a reporter covers a difficult social issue. The next, they meet people taking part in a local tradition that has been celebrated for generations.

Both stories matter to their communities.

Awards and Achievements

September 2025 brought special recognition.

The Royal Television Society presented Choudhury with its Sir Ambrose Fleming Memorial Award.

The award recognises a lasting contribution to television in the West of England.

He received it at an event at Bristol’s Watershed cinema on 23 September 2025.

His ITV colleague Alex Lovell presented the award.

The honour recognised years of reporting and presenting, along with his work on community stories, representation, and regional broadcasting.

Previous recipients of the award include David Olusoga, Nick Park, and Johnny Morris.

For a journalist who began on a local newspaper, it marked a memorable career achievement.

Wife and Married Life

Choudhury is married to Kate.

He mentioned his wife in an interview published by The Bath Magazine in April 2025.

The couple have lived in Gloucestershire, an area he has known since childhood.

Although his career puts him in front of television audiences, he keeps much of his private life away from public attention.

His interviews generally focus on his reporting, family background, cricket, and experiences growing up.

He has shared some personal details. But he has not made his entire family life a public subject.

Parents and Family Background

His parents played an important part in his early life.

His father worked as a surgeon. That job initially brought the family to Greater Manchester.

His mother, Sakina Choudhury, worked in television in Bangladesh as a presenter and producer.

Her broadcasting background is an interesting connection to her son’s later profession.

She also cared deeply about the family’s Bangladeshi heritage.

Even after moving to Britain, she encouraged her children to remember their roots.

When her health declined, her son became a kidney donor.

He later spoke publicly about the experience and its impact on his life.

His mother died in 2022.

Cricket and Life Outside Television

Cricket has remained a lasting interest.

He began playing at Frocester Cricket Club in Gloucestershire when he was around eight years old.

The sport became a regular part of his life.

In a 2023 cricket interview, he discussed playing as a fast bowler and his admiration for Pakistani bowler Waqar Younis.

He also spoke about the friendships he had built through cricket.

Those connections lasted many years.

In his 2025 interview with The Bath Magazine, he said he remained in contact with school friends and continued playing for his local team.

So cricket has been something familiar throughout his life, even as his broadcasting career changed.

What Makes His Broadcasting Career Interesting?

His career followed an unusual path.

He began in print journalism. Then he moved to radio, followed by regional television.

There were no instant shortcuts.

He spent years learning his work and getting to know the South West.

His own experiences also influenced the subjects he covered.

Growing up in an immigrant family, experiencing racism, and becoming a kidney donor gave him personal knowledge of issues that later appeared in his journalism.

He has continued to speak about local stories and the value of hearing directly from the people involved.

That approach is part of why he has remained a familiar figure in regional news.

Career Timeline

Year	Career Event
1990s	Worked in local newspaper journalism
Late 1990s onward	Developed his BBC radio career
2005	Joined BBC Points West
2010s	Worked on investigative programmes and documentaries
2022	Left BBC Points West
October 2022	Joined ITV News West Country
May 2025	Presented Disunited Kingdom?
September 2025	Received the Sir Ambrose Fleming Memorial Award

Final Thought

Sabet Choudhury has spent much of his life telling other people’s stories.

His career started in local newspapers. It grew through radio and BBC television before taking him to ITV News West Country.

He has covered difficult investigations, reported on community life, and shared personal experiences that helped people understand important issues.

His 2025 Royal Television Society award recognised that long career.

And the connection to Gloucestershire remains.

It is where he grew up, learned his profession, played cricket, and spent much of his broadcasting life.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Who is Sabet Choudhury?

Sabet Choudhury is a British journalist and television presenter. He is best known for BBC Points West and ITV News West Country.

2. Where was he born?

He was born in Bangladesh. His family moved to Britain when he was two years old.

3. Where did he grow up?

He first lived in Bury, Greater Manchester. His family later moved to Stonehouse in Gloucestershire.

4. Who is his wife?

His wife is Kate. Their marriage is mentioned in a 2025 interview with The Bath Magazine.

5. Where did he study journalism?

He studied newspaper journalism at the Camborne College of Mining in Cornwall.

6. When did he join ITV News?

He joined ITV News West Country in October 2022. His first scheduled programme was on 17 October.

7. How long did he work at BBC Points West?

He worked there for approximately 17 years, from 2005 until summer 2022.

8. What award did he receive in 2025?

He received the Sir Ambrose Fleming Memorial Award from the Royal Television Society for his contribution to regional television.