Her awards include International TV Personality of the Year (the Association of International Broadcasters), the 2018 President’s Medal by the British Academy for her services to broadcasting, the May Chidiac Lifetime achievement award, the MVISA Movie and Video Industry Lifetime Achievement Award. She is also a Queen’s appointment to the Board of the Historic Royal Palaces, a trustee of BBC Media Action (the charitable arm of the BBC), and a trustee of Hampstead Theatre. She is a former board member of the National Portrait Gallery, the British Council, the Centre for Contemporary British History, the Overseas Development Institute, the African Union Foundation, the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council for Africa and is a former Chair of ‘Article 19’ the London based freedom of speech campaign organization. She studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Oxford University and took a Master’s Degree (awarded with a distinction) on History and Anthropology at SOAS London University. She holds two honorary doctorates: from SOAS, London University and from the London College of Communications - University of the Arts London for her services to broadcasting.