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Amar Latif
OBE
BornDecember 1974 (age 49)
Glasgow, Scotland
Occupation(s)Entrepreneur, television presenter
Years active2005–present

Amar Latif OBE (born December 1974[1]) is a Scottish entrepreneur, television personality and professional traveller. His blindness is due to the incurable eye condition retinitis pigmentosa. By his late teens he had 95 per cent sight loss.[2]

Education and early career

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Born and raised in Glasgow to Pakistani parents in December 1974,[3] Latif gained a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics, Statistics and Finance at the University of Strathclyde,[4] spending part of his course in Canada at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario.[5] On leaving university, he trained as an accountant,[6] eventually becoming Head of Commercial Finance for British Telecom.[2]

In 2004, Latif founded Traveleyes, a travel agency specialising in tours for blind and partially-sighted travellers.[7]

Media career

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In 2005 Latif was a participant in the first series of the BBC Two documentary Beyond Boundaries,[8] as one of a group of travellers with various disabilities on a trek of 220 miles (350 km) from the Atlantic to the Pacific coasts of Nicaragua.

Latif directed the 2007 Channel 4 documentary Sightseeing Blind.[9] He has had minor acting roles in the BBC Three comedy series It's Adam and Shelley,[10] and the BBC One drama series Love Soup.[10] In 2007, he appeared as a special guest on the BBC Two cookery show Ready Steady Cook.[11] In 2016, he appeared as a tour guide in Channel 4's The Last Leg Goes Down Under.[12]

From 2017 to 2018, Latif and Anna Richardson co-presented the Channel 4 show How to Get Fit Fast, which aired for two series.[13]

In 2019, Latif and Sara Pascoe featured in the BBC Two documentary Travelling Blind, in which they explored Istanbul's Grand Bazaar, remote Black Sea-bordering mountains, traditional summer oil wrestling festivities, traditional alpine cattle and bee farming methods and Cappadocia rock formations.[14]

In 2020, Latif appeared as the first ever blind contestant on Celebrity MasterChef. He was eliminated in the Semi Finals with Judi Love & Phil Daniels.[10][15]

In 2021, Amar was one of seven celebrity participants trekking the Sultans Trail in BBC One's Pilgrimage: The Road to Istanbul.

Patronship and awards

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Latif won the 2005 Outstanding Young Business Entrepreneur of the World and Outstanding Young Person of the UK, both awarded by the Junior Chamber International;[citation needed] the 2006 One Vision Man of the Year;[16] and the University of Strathclyde's 2006 Alumnus of the Year award.[4] In 2007, he was presented with the inaugural Stelios Disabled Entrepreneur Award, presented by EasyJet founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou in partnership with the charity Leonard Cheshire Disability.[17]

A 2018 episode of the BBC documentary series River Walks, presented by Latif, was awarded both the Single Documentary category at the 2019 Royal Television Society Yorkshire Centre Awards[18] and the Best Documentary award at the 2019 O2 Media Awards for Yorkshire and The Humber.[19]

In July 2020 Latif was appointed as one of the first two celebrity patrons of SeeAbility, a charity working with people with learning disabilities, autism and sight loss.[20]

In February 2022 Latif presented a BBC Radio 4 Appeal for Rafiki Thabo Foundation about a blind young girl in Uganda who, as he says in this personal message, touched his heart deeply, shortly after he was announced as patron for the charity. The charity works to remove barriers to education for vulnerable children in Kenya, Uganda and Lesotho, including those living with disabilities.

Latif was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2023 Birthday Honours for services to the visually impaired and entrepreneurship.[21]

In April 2023, Latif was announced as the president of The Ramblers, succeeding DJ and writer Stuart Maconie.[22]

References

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  1. ^ "Amar Latif and his inspiring journey through Nidderdale for TV programme". The Yorkshire Post. 7 December 2018. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  2. ^ a b Latif, Amar (17 January 2020). "Sense-Sational". This is Y. Welcome to Yorkshire. p. 32. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  3. ^ "Glasgow presenter makes Celeb MasterChef history as first blind contestant". Glasgow Times.
  4. ^ a b "Alumnus Of The Year 2006". University of Strathclyde. Archived from the original on 13 July 2009.
  5. ^ "A change of perspective: Amar Latif". Queen's Alumni Review. 2 December 2015. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  6. ^ Baxter, Kevin (10 January 2008). "My big idea: Traveleyes". The Times. Retrieved 23 April 2010.(subscription required)
  7. ^ "About us". Traveleyes. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  8. ^ "In Pictures: Beyond Boundaries". BBC News.
  9. ^ "Sightseeing Blind (2007)". BFI. Archived from the original on 24 September 2019.
  10. ^ a b c Bullimore, Emma (30 June 2020). "Meet Celebrity MasterChef 2020 contestant Amar Latif". Radio Times. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  11. ^ "Ready Steady Cook - Series 15". BBC iPlayer. 11 July 2007. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  12. ^ "Interviews with Adam Hills and Amar Latif for The Last Leg Down Under". Channel 4 Press Office. 14 January 2016. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  13. ^ "How to Get Fit Fast". Channel 4. 7 February 2017.
  14. ^ "Travelling Blind". BBC iPlayer. 22 March 2019. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  15. ^ "Celebrity MasterChef - Series 15: Episode 7". BBC iPlayer. 15 July 2020.
  16. ^ "Leading Lights are Awarded Top Visionary Accolade". Royal National College for the Blind. Archived from the original on 7 April 2008.
  17. ^ "Blind businessman wins the first ever Stelios disabled entrepreneur award". EasyGroup. 30 November 2007. Archived from the original on 23 February 2008.
  18. ^ "The RTS Yorkshire Centre Awards 2019". 14 June 2019. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  19. ^ "Double winners at O2 Awards". Air TV. 5 July 2019. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  20. ^ "Amar Latif of Celebrity MasterChef fame, and TV presenter Helen Fospero join SeeAbility as Patrons". SeeAbility. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  21. ^ "No. 64082". The London Gazette (Supplement). 17 June 2023. p. B13.
  22. ^ "Amar Latif to be appointed as President of the Ramblers". Ramblers. 29 March 2023. Retrieved 11 July 2023. Amar will succeed writer and DJ Stuart Maconie, who held the position of president of the Ramblers from 2017 to 2023. Stuart Maconie will continue his support of the charity in the role of life vice president.
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