Waseem Badami is a Pakistani television anchor and journalist best known for hosting the political talk show 11th Hour on ARY News. This Waseem Badami biography covers his age, education, family life, career milestones, controversies, and current status in 2026, based on verified reporting and his own public statements.
Quick Facts
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Real Name | Waseem Badami |
| Date of Birth | February 7, 1985 |
| Age | 41 years (as of July 2026) |
| Birthplace | Karachi, Pakistan |
| Nationality | Pakistani |
| Religion | Islam (Sunni) |
| Education | Reports vary — see Education section [VERIFY] |
| Profession | TV anchor, journalist, entrepreneur |
| Known For | 11th Hour, Shan-e-Ramazan, “Masoomana Sawal” |
| Spouse | Mahira Fatima |
| Children | One son, Adil Abbas |
| Social Media | Instagram: @waseembadami_official (~5M followers); X: @WaseemBadami |
Who Is Waseem Badami?
Waseem Badami is one of Pakistan’s most recognisable television anchors, having spent nearly two decades at ARY News, where he hosts the political talk show 11th Hour. Beyond hard news, he is widely known for his long-running Ramazan transmission and for a skincare and fragrance brand launched under his own name. In August 2025 he was conferred Pakistan’s Tamgha-e-Imtiaz civilian award for his journalism, cementing his status as an established, if sometimes controversial, figure in the country’s private news media.
Early Life and Education
Waseem Badami was born on February 7, 1985, in Karachi. He began his media career giving traffic updates on radio while still a university student, then joined the Business Plus channel as a researcher before entering ARY News.
Details of his formal education are reported inconsistently across sources. Some outlets state he studied Mass Communication at the University of Karachi after attending Karachi Grammar School; others report he holds an MBA in Marketing from the Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (SZABIST). Because these accounts conflict and neither has been confirmed by Badami himself, both versions are flagged here as rather than stated as fact.
Family Background
Waseem Badami keeps his family life relatively private. He has described his marriage to Mahira Fatima as arranged by his family, saying he married roughly two years after starting his ARY job — though published sources differ on the exact year, with some citing 2008 and others 2012. This is a genuine source conflict and is noted here rather than resolved arbitrarily.
The couple has one son, Adil Abbas, who occasionally appears in Badami’s social media posts. Multiple independent sources — including Wikipedia, Grokipedia, and several Pakistani entertainment outlets — consistently report a single child; claims circulating online of two sons are not supported by available reporting and should be treated as inaccurate. Details of Badami’s parents and siblings are not well documented in public sources.
Career
Early Career and Rise at ARY News (2006–2014)
Badami joined ARY News in 2006 as a journalist and anchor after being selected from a large pool of applicants. He built his reputation as a news anchor before moving into talk-show hosting, eventually fronting 11th Hour, ARY’s flagship political discussion programme.
BOL Network Interlude (2014–2015)
In October 2014, Badami left ARY to join the newly launched BOL Network as Executive Vice President and Senior Anchorperson, before resigning in April 2015 and rejoining ARY News.
Return to ARY and Signature Shows (2015–Present)
Since rejoining ARY, Badami has anchored 11th Hour on a nightly basis, alongside the annual Ramazan transmission Shan-e-Ramazan and the cricket-focused show Har Lamha Purjosh, the latter tied mainly to the Pakistan Super League. He is closely associated with a recurring “Masoomana Sawal” segment that has become something of a personal trademark.
Business Ventures
In 2017, Badami partnered with Hemani Herbals to launch “WB,” an organic skincare and grooming brand carrying his initials, first launched in Dubai and then in Karachi. The brand has since expanded into fragrances and wellness products marketed under his name.
Podcasting
In 2022, Badami started “Podcast with Waseem Badami” on YouTube, extending his reach beyond traditional television into long-form interviews.
Awards and Recognition
Badami was nominated for Favourite Current Affairs Anchor (Male) at the 2016 Agahi Awards. His most significant honour to date came in August 2025, when he was conferred the Tamgha-e-Imtiaz by the President of Pakistan, one of the country’s civilian honours, reportedly in recognition of his coverage during a period of heightened Pakistan-India tensions in 2025.
Controversies
- Babar Azam WhatsApp chat (October 2023): Badami aired the contents of a private WhatsApp exchange involving PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf and cricketer Babar Azam on live television. The move triggered the hashtag #BoycottARY and drew criticism over media ethics and privacy. Badami later said in a video statement that airing the material “was not one of the best decisions,” while noting PCB had cleared it minutes before broadcast.
- Child vlogger backlash (March 2024): Badami faced public criticism, including from actor Mishi Khan, after inviting a five-year-old vlogger from Gilgit-Baltistan onto his Shan-e-Ramazan transmission, following an earlier segment featuring another child influencer. Critics called it exploitation for ratings; Badami responded that the children were treated as “family” and that their education and welfare were safeguarded by ARY’s production team.
- Richard Grenell dispute (December 2024): During a segment on 11th Hour, Badami and a guest alleged that former US envoy Richard Grenell had personal and business ties to a family connected to Imran Khan’s legal proceedings. Grenell publicly denied the claims on social media, calling them false, and the exchange drew wider commentary about sourcing standards on Pakistani political talk shows.
- Recurring “second wife” rumours: Unverified claims of a second marriage circulate periodically online. No credible outlet has confirmed this, and it should be treated as an unverified rumour rather than fact.
Personal Life
Badami is reported to stand around 5 feet 7–8 inches tall; exact height figures vary slightly by source. He is a practising Sunni Muslim — a point he has publicly clarified after recurring online speculation misidentified him as Shia. He lives in Karachi and has said in interviews that his demanding schedule limits the time he can spend with his wife, son, and mother, though he shares occasional family moments on social media.
Net Worth and Salary
Badami’s net worth is reported inconsistently, ranging from roughly $1 million to $5 million (translating to a wide PKR range) depending on the source; older estimates put it closer to PKR 1.7 crore, while more recent figures cite $1–1.5 million. Similarly, his monthly salary has been reported anywhere from PKR 15–18 lakh to PKR 2–3 million. Given the wide spread and lack of a single verified figure, these should be treated as media estimates rather than confirmed numbers.
Waseem Badami in 2026
As of mid-2026, Badami continues to anchor 11th Hour on ARY News, covering Pakistan’s shifting political landscape — including PTI activity, Gilgit-Baltistan elections, and regional security issues — alongside international stories such as the Iran-Israel-US tensions in June 2026. He remains active on Instagram (roughly 5 million followers) and X, and continues to build out his WB by Hemani product line. His Tamgha-e-Imtiaz award from 2025 continues to be referenced as a career-defining recognition heading into 2026.
Filmography / Show Credits
| Show | Channel | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 11th Hour | ARY News | Host (political talk show) |
| Shan-e-Ramazan | ARY Digital | Host (Ramazan transmission) |
| Har Lamha Purjosh | ARY Digital | Host (cricket/PSL coverage) |
| Podcast with Waseem Badami | YouTube | Host |
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who is Waseem Badami?
Waseem Badami is a Pakistani TV anchor and journalist best known for hosting 11th Hour on ARY News.
2. How old is Waseem Badami?
He was born on February 7, 1985, making him 41 years old as of July 2026.
3. Who is Waseem Badami’s wife?
He is married to Mahira Fatima; sources differ on the exact marriage year (2008 or 2012).
4. Does Waseem Badami have a son?
Yes, he has one son, Adil Abbas. Widely repeated claims of two sons are not supported by reliable sources.
5. What is Waseem Badami’s religion?
He is a Sunni Muslim; he is not Shia, contrary to occasional online claims.
6. What is Waseem Badami’s net worth?
Estimates vary widely, from roughly $1 million to $5 million, and no single figure has been independently verified.
7. What award did Waseem Badami win in 2025?
He was conferred Pakistan’s Tamgha-e-Imtiaz civilian honour in August 2025.
8. What is Waseem Badami’s brand?
He launched “WB by Hemani,” a skincare and fragrance line, in partnership with Hemani Herbals in 2017.
Last updated: July 2026
