On-Air Radio: Veena V

Words: Etan Smallman
Photography: Elizabeth Gordon

On the crest of a radio wave, 21-year-old Veena V is out to banish boring radio with her fiery brand of presenting.

Veena V is a busy bee. Tracking down the budding – but seemingly elusive – radio presenter for this interview was no easy task, with call after call being met by the dead-end of her chirpy voicemail message.

A renowned broadcaster (whose name escapes me) once said that all it takes to be a good presenter is the ability to record a half-decent answerphone message. If that were the case, Veena has it in the bag. She also has the alliterative name and mega-watt smile that make her look as if she’s pre-packaged, primed, and ready to hit the radio big-time.

When I finally get to speak to the 21-year-old East Londoner, she tells me her ideal job would be on Radio 1. Chatting away to her, I almost feel like I’m phoning into her show, with her bubbly tones and cheery demeanour. But she’s no Fearne or Edith copycat.

“I don’t think there are many female presenters like me,” Veena proclaims: “I’m kind of quite out-there.” She rejects what she calls “the same boring old ideas” in favour of a highly energetic interviewing style.

In an industry driven by contacts, she knows how to play the game, and is sufficiently linked-up to secure interviews with the likes of the Pussycat Dolls (twice), Jay Sean and Gym Class Heroes.

But her proudest achievement came when she dramatically increased the listenership on one of her old stations – garnering a peak of over 100,000 listeners – and beating the station’s breakfast show, an almost unprecedented feat in the industry. It can’t have gone down well with the breakfast hosts. “No!” she giggles. “I didn’t really say anything; I just quietly smiled to myself.”

Live radio, though, has its pitfalls – and pre-recorded shows aren’t much better, as Brand and Ross recently reminded the nation. Broadcasting since the age of 16, Veena must have had her fair share of embarrassing on-air moments. “Nothing really; I don’t really get embarrassed,” she insists.

I persist with my line of questioning. “Well, on one of my old radio shows, I used to get guys literally calling up all the time for my number, which got quite annoying, but made for quite a good radio show. I’d take the mickey out of them and give them fake numbers.” And apart from inadvertently swearing live on-air back when she was 16, it’s been pretty slip-up free so far.

Veena’s known for using her former Club Asia radio show, Exposure, to discover the freshest unsigned talent. But the tables have now turned, and she’s the unsigned act getting a slice of recognition.

“I’ve got so many ambitions,” she enthuses. “Yes, I want to be a really good radio presenter, but I want to build the ‘Veena V brand’ and maybe one day have my own production company, or an agency to help new artists.”

www.veenav.com