Jason Mohammad is one of the main figures in sports broadcasting. The presenter and journalist, 48, is the current host of Final Score on Saturday afternoons on BBC One. He also has his own successful radio show on BBC Radio Wales and can currently be seen presenting at the Commonwealth Games.
Cardiff-born, Jason, has always been a proud Welshman. He regularly posts photos to his social media of events that he has attended in the city, as well as updating fans on his self-titled Academy, which offers students an entry point into the media industry. But how did Jason's own journey in broadcasting begin?
As mentioned, Jason was born and brought up in Cardiff to a Pakistani father and Welsh mother. He is a practicing Muslim. In an interview with The Guardian in 2021, Jason recalled some of the racism that he endured during his childhood. He said: “I was called a ‘Muzzie’ and the P-word and remember walking home from school one day and a kid spitting at me for no reason. That’s just what it was like back then for someone like me – the only Muslim kid in my school, one of very few Mohammads on my side of Cardiff, in a hard place where there were lots of racists around."
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Jason added that he had previously felt that he was unable to talk about his faith. He said: "While I didn’t suffer racism every day I was constantly made aware I was different, and when you’re aware you’re different you feel it [racist abuse] could happen at any moment. That type of thing sticks with you and can damage you in adulthood. That was definitely the case for me, hence me feeling unable and unwilling to talk about my faith for many years.”
He cites a pilgrimage to Mecca that he made in 2009, as part of a documentary series for Welsh-language TV channel S4C, as a "turning point" for him and his faith. In the publication's interview, he said: "That reaction made me realise people are interested in religion and spirituality and that there’s no need to hide my Pakistani heritage and how incredibly proud I am of it.”
Jason studied Welsh and Politics at Swansea University before he went on to take a postgraduate diploma in broadcast journalism. In 1997, Jason joined BBC Cymru Wales as a reporter for BBC Wales Today before becoming the anchor of Wales on Saturday. A football fan, he landed a dream role in 2013 when he replaced Gabby Logan on flag ship BBC show, Final Score. He had previously been a reporter on the programme for many years.
Jason was also the presenter of Scrum V specials on BBC Two Wales and was the secondary snooker presenter for BBC Sport. In 2016, he became part of the BBC's broadcasting crew at the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics and is an occasional presenter of Match of the Day and Match of the Day 2, deputising for Gary Lineker and Mark Chapman.
Following a successful debut at the Olympics in 2016, Jason has continued to fronted some of the BBC’s biggest television output including the Commonwealth Games, FA Cup finals, World Cup finals and the Six Nations. He has also made films for The One Show and has co-presented BBC One’s Crimewatch with Sophie Raworth and Kirsty Young.
Before getting his break into the world of journalism, radio held a place in Jason's heart. He was a member of Radio City 1386AM, The Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board radio service based in Singleton Hospital. Now, he hosts a show on Monday to Wednesday mornings on BBC Radio Wales. He is also a very proud member of the BBC Radio 2 family, presenting Good Morning Sunday along with Kate Bottley between 6am and 9am every weekend.
Jason is married to wife, Nicola, and the pair have three children - Lili, Max and Poppy. As of 2022, he earned a salary of between £285,000 and £289,999, an increase from the £270,000 to £274,999 he received the year before. You can read more about that here. Jason is the 20th highest earner in the BBC's on-air talent. Fellow Welsh presenter, Huw Edwards, is 7th on that list and earns a salary of £410,000-£414,999.
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