Konnie Huq is a figure in British entertainment. Generally speaking, she is known for being a TV presenter. However, Huq has taken on other roles over the course of her career as well. Here are 10 things that you may or may not have known about Konnie Huq:
1. Born in Hammersmith
Huq was born in Hammersmith, which is now the center of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Over the course of its existence, the place has been home to a number of notable individuals. One example would be the poet John Milton, who is sometimes remembred for being “of the Devil’s party without knowing it” because of how he presented Satan in his epic poem Paradise Lost. Another example would be Francis Ronalds, who receives little mention in the present time but can be considered the first electrical engineer who created the first electric telegraph that could work over a great distance.
2. Her Parents Emigrated From Bangladesh in the 1960s
In the 1960s, Huq’s parents emigrated from what would become Bengladesh. For those who are unfamiliar, the British Indian province of Bengal was separated into India-controlled West Bengal and Pakistan-controlled East Bengal in 1947. In time, mistreatment combined with the rise of Bengali nationalism to bring about the Bangladesh Liberation War. The victory of the Provisional Government of Bangladesh and their Indian allies in said conflict was what ensured that East Bengal would be recognized as the independent country of Bangladesh in 1971.
3. Her Sister Is a MP
Huq has two sisters named Rupa and Nutun. Rupa Huq is notable because she is a member of the Labour Party who was elected to the position of Member of Parliament for Ealing Central and Acton in 2015. However, that wasn’t her first time in the political spotlight, seeing as how Rupa Huq had been the deputy mayoress for the London Borough of Ealing from 2010 to 2011.
4. Values Photos of Her Paternal Grandparents
When Huq was asked about her most valuable possession, she responded that she put a huge value on the photos of her paternal grandparents that had been passed down to her. To an extent, this is because she never got the chance to meet her paternal grandparents, seeing as how they had already passed away when her parents had her.
5. Changed By To Kill A Mockingbird
From the same interview, Huq responded that she was changed by the book To Kill A Mockingbird. Said book has inspired a wide range of readers for a wide range of reasons. However, in Huq’s case, it seems that the one that resonated the most with her was the importance of seeing things from other people’s perspectives in order to get a better understanding of relevant situations. On the whole, this seems like an excellent lesson to take away from To Kill A Mockingbird, seeing as how what is obvious to us might not necessarily be so to other people and vice versa.
6. Doesn’t Like Foxtons
Amusingly, Huq seems to share the general dislike for Foxtons, which is a British estate agency that is headquartered out of London. The exact reason why Huq doesn’t like Foxtons is unclear, but considering what other people have said about it, it seems that there are plenty of options. For example, it seems to be rather cynical when it comes to incentivizing its staff, as shown by how it hands out unbranded BMWs to its top sellers while forcing the rest of its agents to drive around in branded Minis. Likewise, it seems to be a pivotal player in gentrification, which tends to be disliked by the existing communities in the relevant neighborhoods for very good reasons. With that said, the fact that Foxtons has prospered in spite of its image issues suggests that it is getting at least some of its other fundamentals right.
7. Longest-Serving Female Presenter of Blue Peter
For a lot of people, Huq is best-known for being the longest-serving female presenter of the children’s show Blue Peter, seeing as how she held the position from December of 1997 to January of 2008. In short, Blue Peter uses a magazine format to present challenges, competitions, interviews, and other kinds of content, which has enabled it to remain on the TV screen since 1958. As a result, it is the single longest-running children’s show that can be found in the entire world, which in turn, means that it has had a huge impact on Britain’s cultural landscape.
8. Was On Good Omens
Besides being a TV presenter, Huq has been known to show up in various roles in various productions as well. For instance, she played a minor role as a character named Pam on the very recent Good Omens, which is a live-action adaptation of the Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett novel of the same name. Suffice to say that the whole thing has a very unique take on the whole concept of Armageddon, not least because it features an angel, a demon, and an Antichrist who are less than enthused about the whole thing.
9. Co-Wrote Black Mirror’s “Fifteen Million Merits”
On a related note, Huq is married to Charlie Brooker, who some people might recognize as the creator as well as the co-showrunner of Black Mirror. The two co-wrote an episode called “Fifteen Million Merits,” which involves competition-themed reality shows in a sci-fi dystopia. Said episode ends on a wonderfully cynical note, seeing as how the protagonist essentially sells out in exchange for better accommodations in a society that is wholly unshaken by his televised rant.
10. Not a Fan of Brexit
Anyone who pays attention to British politics will know that the single most important topic at the moment is whether Britain will have a negotiated exit from the European Union or crash out in a very haphazard and thus very memorable fashion. Unsurprisingly, Huq isn’t a fan of Brexit, though all indications are that the chances of British leadership just averting the whole mess by choosing to revoke their exist are either nonexistent or the next thing to it.
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