BBC New Voices Bradford: Three winners revealed ahead of UK City of Culture 2025

Irene Kaali, 30, Humaira Bham and Olivia Wright, both 25, will be at the heart of the corporation’s reporting of Bradford’s year as UK City of Culture in 2025 for BBC Radio Leeds, which covers the wider West Yorkshire area.

The trio were selected after the talent search by the station, which generated hundreds of entries. It asked members of the public to record a 45-sceond video of themselves, describing what the city means to them in a campaign supported by a number of Bradford-born celebrities, including presenter Anita Rani, Girls Aloud star Kimberley Walsh and cricketer Jonny Bairstow.

A panel of TV presenter Rani, Radio Leeds breakfast presenter Rima Ahmed, Radio Leeds executive editor Simon Monk and Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture’s creative director Shanaz Gulzar judged the 14 finalists at Sunbridgewells in the city centre on Sunday.

Each finalist was given two minutes to impress the judges who scored them on their ability to communicate their vision, creativity and innovation of audition, passion for the district of Bradford, and understanding of the UK City of Culture 2025.

The winners were announced this evening on The One Show by head judge Rani.

“It's slowly sinking in, but honestly, I'm feeling just so grateful,” says Irene, who had asked friends and family to tell her what Bradford meant to them and put those observations into a song for the judges.

The Bradford Bulls, the wool industry and the city’s claim to be the “curry capital” all got a mention.

Irene, who went to Wibsey Primary School and Buttershaw Business and Enterprise College, says: “I've always been a performer. Growing up, I was a theatre kid. I've always been interested in singing and dancing and being on the stage.

"I was just always comfortable in front of people,” she says.

Irene, who grew up in Wibsey and lives in the city centre, later trained in dance and musical theatre and currently works full time as a Zumba instructor, personal trainer and a singer.

"I always just felt that I wanted every day to be filled with creativity and the things that I love and I'm passionate about. So that's what I've been working to create with my career.

“So when this opportunity came about...it's slightly different, not the same kind of performing that I'm accustomed to, but at the same time, when it comes to just relating to people and being in front of an audience or camera – that I'm comfortable with. Hopefully it's a natural fit, but I suppose we'll find out shortly won’t we!”

She adds: “The reaction (when the winners were announced) from everyone was so symbolic of Bradford. There was never any competition in that room, everyone was for each other, supporting each other so we won together as a team.”

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Olivia, meanwhile, delivered a funny but emotional routine for her audition.

She says: “Comedy is a big part of my personality, I don't like to take anything too seriously, I do like to make light out of situations. I feel like people listen to you a little bit more when they're laughing.

"I did a little bit of stand up comedy thing just about a recent experience that I've had in Bradford with someone who recently battled homelessness and it was just basically about how the people of Bradford came together as a community to really help and support where they could.”

Olivia has worked in other cities, spending time in London, and lived in Zante as one of the participants in Amazon’s Hot Mess Summer programme, which streamed earlier this year.

"I always find myself just wanting to come back home,” she says.

She was raised on the Buttershaw estate – a place which was an inspiration to local playwright Andrea Dunbar – and later Great Horton.

“I've always been a bit proud of growing up on a council estate because I grew up as part of a community,” she says. “The neighbors were always there whenever we needed help, if we were struggling for money the neighbours would help out and vice versa.

"We’d have giant barbecues in the summer and I just feel like you don't really get that anywhere else other than on a council estate.”

Olivia adds: “I applied because I want to be part of the movement that brings about change in Bradford. This city inspires me every day. I was born here, I have grown up here. I want people to love it the same way I do.”

Humaira, meanwhile, is from Batley but has familial and professional links to Bradford.

“I wrote a poem from the perspective of my grandmother to her father. She emigrated first with her mother and her father was back in India, sorting things out,” she says.

"So the whole family was pretty much separated. It was from the perspective of my grandmother to her father, and then it kind of switches to me just thanking my grandmother for everything she sacrificed to come to England for – for her offspring to have a better future.”

Humaira’s work, she believes, given her a special insight into the people of Bradford.

“Being an optometrist is part-counsellor, part-childminder, a little bit of everything, because people will come in to get their eyes tested but, particularly with elderly people, you might be the only person they have a proper chat with all day.

"So they will tell you everything, their worries, their concerns about everything,” says Humaira, who went to Batley Girls’ High School and sixth form at Heckmondwike Grammar.

"I really do get a feel of what people are like, what they enjoy, hobbies, everything – things they love about the city things they don't like so much. And also I see a range of different ages, from babies to people on end of life care, so I have to know how to speak to all these different people, build a rapport with them, but also I can really really get to know them. And I've got a real image of what the people particularly of Bradford are like.”

The panel praised the winners for their approach.

Rani says: “The standard was incredibly high. I know lots of people who judge talent shows say this but genuinely it was really difficult. Ultimately, we could only pick three people and we picked the three who had the highest scores and I’m very happy it’s three female winners!

“They had heart, authenticity, warmth. There was something in their eyes and it was their passion for Bradford. They’re all in love with the place. They’re all very different and all have very different stories but that in itself is a reflection of the city.

“People from Bradford have always known how special it is and it’s time for us to show the world but also own our own narrative. Too many people who haven’t been here have an opinion of the place. This is the time for this city that cultured me to have its moment to shine.”

The UK City of Culture year is set to deliver more than 1,000 performances working with people from all over the district.

The winners of the talent search will get a foot in the door at the BBC while working alongside presenters like Rima Ahmed and Gayle Lofthouse on BBC Radio Leeds.

Shanaz Gulzar, Creative Director at Bradford 2025, says: “I am looking forward to working with the winners to capture the buzz of our city and to showcase our exciting plans for 2025 - watch this space!”