First South Asian arrivals in Leeds remember BBC broadcasts

By the early 2000s, British Asian culture was breaking into the mainstream.

In the middle of that shift was Bobby Friction, who now presents on BBC Asian Network.

“The revolutions of the 1990s paved the way for the riches of the early noughties,” he remembers.

” ‘Goodness Gracious Me’, for us, was monumental – that specific British Desi humour was on national TV.”

Seeing members of the cast who were from the same parts of London as he was felt, he says, “like the revolution wasn’t just in my head, it was happening across the country”.

“In 2002, Radio 1 decided to do a South Asian music show, and Nihal Arthanayake and I were chosen to present it.

“My ambition since the age of 15 was to be on Radio 1 playing South Asian music.”

That same year, Asian Network went national, and Desi DNA launched soon after.

“Suddenly you’re in this new era which has already started when the other era hasn’t even finished yet.

“At that time, if you were young and South Asian just coming of age, it was very, very different compared to even 10 years before.”