Jameela Jamil

Jameela Alia Jamil[1] (born 25 February 1986)[2] is a British actress, radio presenter, model, writer and activist. She began her career on T4, where she hosted a pop culture series from 2009 until 2012. She then became the radio host of The Official Chart, and was co-host of The Official Chart Update alongside Scott Mills on BBC Radio 1. She was the first solo female presenter of the BBC Radio 1 chart show.[3]

Jameela Jamil
Jamil at the 2018 San Diego Comic-Con
Born
Jameela Alia Jamil

(1986-02-25) 25 February 1986
London, England
Occupation
  • Presenter
  • actress
  • DJ
Years active2009–present
Partner(s)James Blake (2015–present)
Websitejameelajamil.co.uk

In 2016, Jamil moved to the United States. Whilst there, she was cast as Tahani Al-Jamil in the NBC fantasy comedy series The Good Place.[4] She has modelled for both British and American Vogue, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, and Teen Vogue, and has written for The Times, Cosmopolitan, The Huffington Post, and Company.[5]

Early life

Jamil was born on 25 February 1986 in Hampstead, London, to an Indian father and a Pakistani mother.[6] She stated in 2015 that she was born with congenital hearing loss and labyrinthitis, which she has had several operations to correct, and that she had 70% hearing ability in her left ear and 50% in her right ear.[7] She has also stated that at the age of nine she was diagnosed with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a genetic disorder affecting the connective tissue in the body.[8]

As a teenager, she has stated, she suffered from anorexia nervosa and did not eat a full meal between the ages of 14 and 17. She has stated that she believes her eating disorder developed due to societal pressure, including magazine articles selling weight loss products.[9] She has said that at the age of 17 she was struck by a car while running from a bee, breaking several bones and damaging her spine. She stated she was told that she might never walk again but that she slowly recovered after steroid treatment and physiotherapy, using a Zimmer frame to start walking.[10][11] She credits the car accident for pushing her towards recovery from anorexia, stating that it changed her relationship with her body.[9] She attended Queen's College School in London and states she taught English to foreign students at the Callan School of English in London.[11] She also states she worked as a model, photographer, and fashion scout for Premier Model Management Limited.[10][12][13]

Career

2009–2015: Early media career
Jamil, pictured at the London Fashion Week, 2009

Jamil appeared on the E4 show Music Zone towards the end of 2008. She began presenting T4 in 2009.[14][15] In January 2009, when Alexa Chung left the morning TV show Freshly Squeezed, Jamil succeeded her as co-host, alongside Nick Grimshaw.[12][14][16][17]

Jamil presented The Closet, an online fashion advice show on the social networking site Bebo produced by Twenty Twenty Television.[15][16][18] Jamil was photographed for a Vogue feature on "British Editorial Class of 2010" in January of that year, by David Bailey.

From 2011 to 2014 she wrote a column for Company, the women's monthly magazine.[15][19] In January 2012, Jamil replaced June Sarpong as the host of the reality show Playing It Straight.[20] In June 2012, Jamil collaborated with Very to debut her first fashion collection.[21] At the end of 2012 Jamil became the radio host of The Official Chart, and was co-host of The Official Chart Update alongside Scott Mills on BBC Radio 1. Jamil made radio history, becoming the first sole female presenter of the BBC Radio 1 Chart show.[22]

2016–present: Transition into acting
It's very exciting. I know it shouldn't be a big deal, but there's also a huge lack of ethnic minorities in showbiz. I'm completely Asian – not mix – and I'm so proud to be such a big part of Radio 1. I actually can't wait to get started now!

 — Jamil, on being the first female host of The Official Chart[23]

Jamil left London in 2016 and moved to Los Angeles,[24] with no plans of acting, instead intending to work as a screenwriter.[25] Her agent told her that Michael Schur, who co-created Parks and Recreation, was looking for a British actress for a new upcoming comedy series. Although Jamil had no prior acting experience at this point and was wary of auditioning, she agreed to do so. She was later recalled for a second interview, and was given the role.[26][27][28]

The show premiered in September 2016, with Jamil being a regular cast member of the NBC fantasy comedy series The Good Place, where she played Tahani Al-Jamil.[29] Jamil's character became known for her tendency to name drop.[30]

Jamil made her first American magazine cover on the February 2018 issue of The Cut.[31] She provided her voice as a guest on the animated television series DuckTales.[32] In 2018, Jamil joined the cast of Disney's Indian-inspired cartoon set in fictional Jalpur. Mira, Royal Detective is expected to air on Disney Junior channels in 2020, with Jamil playing Mira's Auntie Pushpa.[33] In 2018, Jamil hosted a recurring segment on Last Call with Carson Daly during its final season, entitled "Wide Awake with Jameela Jamil".[34]

Since 2019, Jamil has been the host of The Misery Index, a comedy game show on TBS.[35]

In March 2020, she posed fully-clothed in suit and tie for Playboy magazine's "On Speech" issue. She later tweeted, "From my Playboy shoot, I wanted to be shot like a man. No retouching, hi res, loose, comfortable clothes and completely unsexualized. I felt extremely free."[36][37]

In April 2020, she debuted her podcast I Weigh with Jameela Jamil, which focuses on women's accomplishments, body positivity, activism and racial inclusivity.[38]

Activism

Late in 2015, Jamil launched Why Not People?, an events and membership company dedicated to hosting live entertainment events accessible to people with disabilities.[39] In March 2018, Jamil created an Instagram account called I Weigh,[40] inspired by a picture that she came across online of Kourtney, Kim and Khloé Kardashian with their half-sisters Kendall and Kylie Jenner, detailing each woman's weight.[41] Jamil describes I Weigh as "a movement... for us to feel valuable and see how amazing we are, and look past the flesh on our bones".[42] The account welcomes submissions of followers' non-edited or airbrushed selfies using the hashtag #iweigh, with text describing the things that they feel grateful for or proud of.[42][41] In part due to this work, Jamil was listed as one of BBC's 100 Women during 2018.[43]

Jamil has been a critic of diet shakes and appetite suppressants. She explained that in her teens she starved herself, took laxatives and tips from celebrities on how to maintain a low weight. She has criticised the Kardashians, rapper Cardi B, and other influencers for promoting diet suppressants via social media.[44] Jamil created a petition via change.org, titled "Stop celebrities promoting toxic diet products on social media", with a goal of reaching 150,000 signatures. She called upon social media services such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to ban the practice, noting its dangerous rhetoric on young impressionable teenagers.[45]

There's little to no information about the side effects or main ingredients, the harm they may cause or any of the science behind how these products are supposed to work. They are instead, flogged in glossy paid adverts by celebrities and influencers with no expertise or authority in nutrition/medicine/biology.

— An excerpt from Jamil's diet petition[45]

Jamil also supports the climate change movement, expressing her admiration for Jane Fonda, Greta Thunberg and several other climate change activists.[46]

Charity

Jamil appeared on C4 Orange Rockcorps 2009, volunteering to help create a concert to fund local community projects.[47] She has supported the Cultural Learning Alliance, which promotes access to culture for children and young people,[48] and Vinspired National Awards for people aged 16–25 who have contributed to their communities through volunteering.[49][50] Jamil designed her own version of SpongeBob SquarePants to be auctioned off with all the proceeds going to Childline.[51] Jamil also said that she would wear a chicken costume for the same number of days equal to the number of thousands of pounds she raises for Comic Relief. She was sponsored approximately £16,000 and wore the costume for 16 consecutive days.[52]

Honours

Jamil was one of fifteen women selected to appear on the cover of the September 2019 issue of British Vogue "Forces for Change", by guest editor Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.[53]

On 2 August 2019, Jamil was awarded "Advocate of the Year" from the Ehlers-Danlos Society.[8]

Jamil received the "Phenom" award from the 12th annual Shorty Awards on 3 May 2020. [54]

Personal life

Jamil has been in a relationship with musician James Blake since 2015.[55] She is openly queer.[56][57][58]

On the 1 October 2018 episode of Good Morning America – complete with video footage[59] – Jamil stated that she lost a tooth, smashed her nose, broke her elbow and got a concussion when she slipped and fell on her face while running around the set with Olly Murs at a recorded event leading up to the pair acting as presenters at the Orange Rockcorps volunteer's London concert of September 2010.[60]. However, later footage from the same recording shows her with a complete set of teeth and uninjured.[61]

On 3 October 2019 in interview on HardTalk, a BBC News Channel programme, Jamil stated that she had been raped several times in her life and that in the past she looked at blaming women, but has changed to blaming the societal patriarchy that produces that scenario.[62] In that interview she also stated she had a 'breast cancer scare' in 2016 that was negative for cancer, whereas in a segment recorded in 2016 for Fashion Targets Breast Cancer she instead describes having experienced precancerous cells in her breast.[63] Also in October 2019 in the same month as the HardTalk interview but not in the interview itself, she stated she had suffered from actual cancer twice.[64] Jamil has also stated that at age 12 she was attacked by a man, recounting, "[he] grabbed my vagina [...] in my school uniform at 3.30pm, so hard and for so long, that I bled and had to throw both of us against a wall to get him off", on Oxford Street, the main shopping street in London, and that she has been the subject of many lewd acts by men since age 11.[65]

In 2020, because of inconsistencies in her accounts of illnesses, accidents and injuries, Jamil was accused of having Munchausen syndrome, wherein those affected feign disease, illness, or psychological trauma to draw attention, sympathy, or reassurance to themselves. She denied that she has the condition.[66][67][68]

On 10 October 2019, as part of World Mental Health Day, Jamil stated she survived a suicide attempt six years prior. She criticised the lack of services for those who struggled with mental health issues. She also stated that she partook in EMDR therapy to treat her post traumatic stress disorder.[69]

Filmography

Film
YearTitleRoleNotes
2019How to Build a GirlCleopatra
2020Marry Me

Television
YearTitleRoleNotes
2009–2012Freshly SqueezedHerselfLead host
2009–2012T4HerselfHost
2012Playing It StraightHerselfHost
2014Celebrity JuiceHerselfSeries 11, episode 8
2015The Great Comic Relief Bake OffHerselfSeries 2, episode 3
2016–2020The Good PlaceTahani Al-JamilMain cast
2018Hollywood Game NightHerselfEpisode: "Ho Ho Holiday Game Night"
2018Last Call with Carson DalyHerselfHost, recurring segment, Wide Awake with Jameela Jamil
2019DuckTalesGandra Dee (voice)Episode: "The Dangerous Chemistry of Gandra Dee!"[32]
2019The Misery IndexHerselfLead host
2019Still Laugh-In: The Stars CelebrateHerself
2020American Dad!Christine S. (voice)Episode: "Exquisite Corpses"
2020Big City GreensPhoenix (voice)Episode: "Animal Farm"
2020Crossing SwordsSloane (voice)4 episodes
2020Harley QuinnEris (voice)Episode: "Bachelorette"
2020LegendaryHerselfJudge[70][71]
2020Mira, Royal DetectiveAuntie Pushpa (voice)Recurring role[72]
2020Jurassic World: Camp CretaceousCamp counselor (voice)Recurring role

Radio
Year Title Role Notes
2012 The Radio 1 Request show with Jameela Jamil[73] Host BBC Radio 1
2013–2015 The Official Chart Host BBC Radio 1
2013 The Official Chart Update Co-host BBC Radio 1

References
  1. "Jameela Jamil Biography". TV Guide. Archived from the original on 9 January 2020. Retrieved 9 January 2020.
  2. "Jameela Jamil". Us Weekly. Archived from the original on 9 May 2020. Retrieved 20 January 2020.
  3. "Clara Amfo to present BBC Radio 1's Official Chart Show". Retrieved 30 January 2017.
  4. Andreeva, Nellie (26 February 2016). "Good Place: English presenter Jameela Jamil cast in Mike Schur NBC series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
  5. Jamil, Jameela. "About". Jameela Jamil official website. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
  6. Hedges-Stocks, Zoah (21 May 2018). "The Good Place star Jameela Jamil told she was 'too old, too ethnic and too fat' for the US". The Telegraph. UK. Archived from the original on 9 September 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2020. Jamil, who was born in Hampstead to a Pakistani mother and an Indian father…
  7. McGrath, Nick (20 April 2015). "Jameela Jamil has faced cancer and spine damage but has never felt better". Mirror. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  8. "Jameela Jamil on Instagram: "Proud to be an @ehlers.danlos advocate of the year. I got diagnosed at 9 years old and there is still so little information 20 years later…"". Instagram. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  9. "Jameela Jamil on banning airbrushing, the Kardashians and her traumatic teens". Channel 4 News. 29 August 2018. Retrieved 31 August 2018 – via YouTube.
  10. Mulloy, Katie; Bella Howard (photographer); Steve Morriss (stylist) (December 2009). Nylon. New York: Nylon Holding Inc. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  11. "Interview: Jameela Jamil", Look magazine, London, UK: IPC Group Limited, 16 February 2010
  12. "Jameela Jamil: Our Style Crush – Sky Showbiz". Showbiz.sky.com. Archived from the original on 1 March 2010. Retrieved 21 October 2010.
  13. "Jameela Jamil". Premiermodelstyle.com. Retrieved 21 October 2010.
  14. "Jameela Jamil". Millndoll.com. Archived from the original on 14 July 2011. Retrieved 21 October 2010.
  15. "Hackford Jones PR – Entertainment – Jameela Jamil". Hackford Jones PR. Archived from the original on 29 November 2010. Retrieved 21 October 2010.
  16. "Jameela | represented by Money Management". Moneymanagementuk.com. 11 November 2009. Archived from the original on 24 October 2010. Retrieved 21 October 2010.
  17. Fletcher, Alex (23 January 2009). "T4 unveils new host Jameela Jamil". Digital Spy. Retrieved 21 October 2010.
  18. "Jameela Jamil undresses for Westfield London Flash Mob". Fashionandrunway.com. 9 October 2009. Archived from the original on 10 July 2011. Retrieved 21 October 2010.
  19. Levine, Daniel S. (20 September 2017). "Jameela Jamil as Tahani Al-Jamil: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know". Heavy.com. Retrieved 21 January 2018.
  20. "'Playing It Straight' to return to E4". Digital Spy. 6 October 2011. Retrieved 4 June 2012.
  21. "The exclusive first collection designed by Jameela Jamil for Very.co.uk". Blog.very.co.uk. 21 June 2012. Archived from the original on 3 September 2012. Retrieved 8 October 2012.
  22. "Reggie Yates, Vernon Kay to leave Radio 1, Jameela Jamil for Chart Show". Digital Spy. 9 November 2012. Retrieved 6 September 2013.
  23. Copsey, Robert (11 January 2013). "Jameela Jamil talks Radio 1 Chart Show". Digital Spy.
  24. Chocano, Carina (18 September 2018). "Jameela Jamil Is on a 'Burger-Friendly, Life-Positive' Mission". Elle. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
  25. Hirschberg, Lynn. "Jameela Jamil Never Expected to Be An Actress—Now, She's Fighting for Inclusivity". W Magazine. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  26. Turner, Lauren (14 October 2017). "Why Jameela Jamil is in a Good Place". BBC News. Retrieved 9 November 2018.
  27. Fetters, Ashley (11 January 2018). "Jameela Jamil Had Never Acted Before 'The Good Place'". GQ. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  28. Adams, Erik (4 January 2018). "Jameela Jamil suggests you take all your Good Place spoiler requests to Ted "Loose Lips" Danson". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  29. Andreeva, Nellie (25 February 2016). "'Good Place': British Presenter Jameela Jamil Cast In Mike Schur NBC Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  30. Andreeva, Nellie (25 February 2016). "'Good Place': British Presenter Jameela Jamil Cast in Mike Schur NBC Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  31. Jamil, Jameela [@jameelajamil] (5 February 2018). "My first USA cover! Thanks @thecut What a bloody lovely surprise that was. Interview is out now! www.instagram.com/p/Be0nENSFcbp/" (Tweet). Retrieved 10 April 2018 – via Twitter.
  32. Jamil, Jameela [@jameelajamil] (21 September 2018). "Joining the cast of Ducktales and living out my childhood dream! couldn't be more excited. 🤓" (Tweet). Retrieved 9 November 2018 – via Twitter.
  33. "Jameela Jamil joins Disney Indian-inspired cartoon". BBC News. 30 November 2018.
  34. "Last Call with Carson Daly", Wikipedia, 22 November 2019, retrieved 23 November 2019
  35. Darwish, Meaghan (18 July 2019). "'The Misery Index' Unveils Premiere Date & First-Squirm Inducing Trailer (VIDEO)". TV Insider. NTVB Media, Inc. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  36. "Jameela Jamil poses fully-clothed in suit and tie in Playboy". www.msn.com. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  37. Fishman, Elana (12 March 2020). "Jameela Jamil poses in suit and tie for Playboy: 'I wanted to be shot like a man'". Page Six. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  38. https://www.nerdsandbeyond.com/2020/02/27/jameela-jamils-the-i-weigh-podcast-to-debut-in-april/
  39. "Jameela Jamil: 'Britain deals with disability by pretending it's not happening'". The Independent. 24 June 2015. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  40. "I Weigh (@i_weigh) • Instagram photos and videos". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
  41. Jamil, Jameela. "I weigh". Jameela Jamil – Diary of a Goon. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
  42. "What is i_weigh – @i_weigh". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
  43. "BBC 100 Women 2018: Who is on the list?". BBC News. 19 November 2018. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  44. "Let's Break Down Cardi B's Expletive-Filled Twitter War Over "Nonsense" Detox Tea". Bravo TV Official Site. 28 November 2018.
  45. "100,000 People Sign Jameela Jamil's Petition To Stop Celeb Endorsed Diets". 10 February 2019.
  46. Jamil, Jameela [@jameelajamil] (24 November 2019). "I think what Jane Fonda is doing for climate change awareness is so amazing" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 24 November 2019 – via Twitter.
  47. "Orange RockCorps – Series 1 – Episode 7 – Orange Rockcorps 2009". Channel 4. 19 September 2009. Retrieved 21 October 2010.
  48. "Stories". Cultural Learning Alliance. Archived from the original on 10 May 2011. Retrieved 21 October 2010.
  49. "Millennium Volunteers, Youth Volunteers, Volunteering Opportunities". Bacyp.co.uk. Archived from the original on 7 December 2009. Retrieved 21 October 2010.
  50. "national awards". Nationalawards.vinspired.com. Archived from the original on 5 January 2010. Retrieved 21 October 2010.
  51. "Photos from the Spongebob Squarepants Tenth Birthday Celebration and Charity Auction With The Saturdays, Sophie Ellis-Bextor". Popsugar.co.uk. 22 January 2010. Archived from the original on 25 July 2011. Retrieved 21 October 2010.
  52. Digital Spy (23 February 2013). "Jameela Jamil offers to wear chicken suit for a month for Comic Relief". Retrieved 17 March 2013.
  53. "Meghan Markle puts Sinéad Burke on the cover of Vogue's September issue". The Irish Times. Retrieved 31 July 2019.
  54. https://blog.shortyawards.com/post/616742577142628352/introducing-our-entertainment-phenom-recipient (Retrieved May 5 2020)
  55. "Jameela Jamil on Instagram: "3 years with this untalented bastard ❤️"". Retrieved 7 June 2018. – va Instagram
  56. Jamil, Jameela [@jameelajamil] (5 February 2020). "Twitter is Brutal" (Tweet). Retrieved 6 February 2020 – via Twitter.
  57. Hunte, Ben (6 February 2020). "Jameela Jamil announces she is 'queer' after backlash over TV role". British Broadcasting Corporation/BBC News. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
  58. Abrams, Margaret (6 February 2020). "Jameela Jamil comes out as queer on Twitter after backlash over Legendary judge role". Evening Standard. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
  59. Olly Murs, Jameela Jamil (15 August 2011). Olly Murs - Challenge 1 (Orange RockCorps) (YouTube). London. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  60. "'The Good Place' star Jameela Jamil reveals how she lost her tooth in on-set fall". ABC News. 1 October 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  61. Olly Murs, Jameela Jamil (15 August 2011). Olly Murs - Challenge 2 (Orange RockCorps) (YouTube). London. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  62. "Hardtalk - Jameela Jamil actor and activist". BBC iPlayer.
  63. Fashion Targets 2016 Jameela Jamil (YouTube). 21 April 2016. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  64. Barr, Sabrina (8 October 2019). "Jameela Jamil speaks out about surviving cancer twice". The Independent. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  65. Barrett, Jessica (29 March 2019). "Jameela Jamil: 'I've Been Raped, I've Been Followed, I've Been Chased By Groups Of Men I've Had To Outrun To Save My Life'". Grazia. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  66. Young, Sarah (12 February 2019). "Jameela Jamil denies claims she has Munchausen's following string of 'dumb internet conspiracies'". The Independent. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  67. Langham, Frankie (14 February 2019). "Jameela Jamil accused of fresh 'law-changing lies' after Munchausen's Syndrome Storm". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  68. Carras, Christi (14 February 2019). "Jameela Jamil and boyfriend James Blake are not here for your Munchausen theories". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 11 August 2020.
  69. Jamil, Jameela [@jameelajamil] (10 October 2019). "Today is #WorldMentalHealthDay" (Tweet). Retrieved 10 October 2019 – via Twitter.
  70. Murphy, J. Kim; Murphy, J. Kim (4 February 2020). "Jameela Jamil Tapped to MC, Judge Voguing Competition Series at HBO Max". Variety. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  71. "'Legendary' bosses respond to initial controversy: 'My job is to make sure that you're wrong'". EW.com. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  72. "Disney Junior Orders Animated Mystery Series Inspired by Indian Cultures and Customs". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 1 December 2018.
  73. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/profiles/3nml0VKNrDcCVgqJtS9CJJc/jameela-jamil Retrieved 14 April 2020

Further reading
Media offices
Preceded by
Scott Mills		 BBC Radio 1
Chart show presenter
13 January 2013 – 18 January 2015		 Succeeded by
Clara Amfo
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.