Karen Webb (*1971) combines her Anglo-Indian roots with a modern, open outlook on society. Her multinational family, spread across India, England and Australia, has shaped a strong sense of belonging which she captured in her cookbook „Heute gibt’s indisch!“ (“Today it’s Indian!”). After more than 25 years as a TV presenter (including „Leute heute“ and „Mona Lisa“), she now works as a media and presentation coach, helping people to appear with confidence while championing genuine diversity. Looking back, she sees the end of her TV programme as a chance for greater freedom and emphasizes: “Indian curry is more than just a meal. It is tradition, family and togetherness.”
Mrs Webb, theinder.net is celebrating its 25th anniversary as a platform for German-Indian perspectives. What role do your Indian roots play in your identity?
My father was born in India and grew up in a large Anglo-Indian family, so I have a great many relatives. Older generations still live in India, while the rest emigrated and are now based in Australia and England. We remain in close contact, and I feel a strong bond with them.
You stand for a modern, open society. In what way do you see your cultural background as an enrichment – both personally and professionally?
As a child, we lived in London in a house where several generations and relatives shared the same roof. My father’s eldest sister did all the cooking, and every evening we gathered around a large dining table. It was always lively, with a wonderful sense of belonging. That has not changed to this day. I am so grateful that we remain so close, even though we no longer live in London. Family simply has a different standing there compared with Germany.
How do you view diversity in German television – and what, in your opinion, has changed in recent years? The same question also for diversity in society as a whole.
To be honest, I do not watch much traditional television anymore. In my view, diversity was at times artificially enforced. For example, presenters with migrant backgrounds were hired simply so that stations could say: look, how diverse we are. Or diversity became a trend: Heidi Klum chose an overweight contestant as top model.
At 17 you were awarded a scholarship for the United States, and later you studied political science and sociology alongside your work as a presenter – quite a demanding balancing act! How did this intensive academic path shape you, and what benefits do you still draw from it today?
In the US I completed my senior year at a high school. It was a wonderful experience that has shaped me to this day. I learnt to stand on my own feet, to follow my dreams, to go through life with optimism – and that hard work pays off. For that reason, it was not difficult for me to study alongside my job. When I did my Bachelor’s in Political Science, I did not yet have children, so I had more time. I did it purely for myself, not for any professional benefit. I was presenting a people’s magazine and needed another intellectual challenge.
After more than 25 years, „Leute heute“ ended in September 2023. How did you experience that moment – and what direction did you take afterwards?
„Leute heute“ was cancelled despite its great success. For all freelance staff that meant: goodbye, there is the door. Something you would not expect from a so-called public-service „family channel“.
Looking back, it was the best thing that could have happened to me. During the 16 years I presented the programme, I attended the most wonderful events: I covered all the royal weddings (and with those of Charles, William and Harry I had the chance to visit my family in London at the same time), met Karl Lagerfeld in Paris every year, and interviewed Hollywood stars on the Oscars red carpet in Los Angeles. The travelling – which I love – was suspended during the pandemic and never reinstated. My boss was nearing retirement, everything became a little lacklustre. So I think: it was for the best, everything has its time.
What are you doing now?
Now I pass on my expertise as a presenter, which I could only do to a limited extent while working on a daily live show. I work as a media and presentation coach, supporting people who speak in public: how to place their key messages, hold the audience’s attention, appear confident and self-assured, and so on. I train executives and CEOs, but also private individuals opening a yoga studio or a restaurant. I also work specifically with women, to give them greater visibility. I can draw on all my experience from television and event presentations – as well as my work as a lecturer at the University of Munich. I am my own boss now. It does not get more free than that.
Although it has been more than ten years, you published the cookbook „Heute gibt’s indisch!“ at the time – a collection of your family’s favourite recipes. What inspired you to record these recipes in a book – and did you opt for more traditional or modern versions? And how did you manage to gather all the recipes from your family members – after all, much of Indian cooking is done by instinct rather than by measurement. Did you also find that each cook has their own unique spice blend?
I visit England regularly, especially London, and my family still cooks Indian food. Not so much the younger generation, but certainly my cousins. And I would be disappointed if I were ever served pasta there, because for us, Indian curry is more than a meal. It is tradition, it is family, it is togetherness.
My mother in Germany also often cooked Indian dishes for guests – and everyone loved it. That gave me the idea of publishing the best recipes. I contacted my whole family, from Australia to India to England – back then via Facebook and email – and asked them to send me their favourite dishes, with measurements. I was amazed at how many recipes I received. Together with my mother in Munich, I cooked them all, sometimes made small adjustments, checked the measurements, and that is how the cookbook came about.
When I was a child, we used to drive to England by car, and on the way back we would fill the boot with Indian spices, because you could not get garam masala or mango powder here. Fortunately, that has changed. In Munich, I was able to find everything I needed to cook.
Finally, could you tell us a little about your upcoming projects, and what is especially close to your heart at the moment?
I am currently expanding my training programmes so that people can work with me online in a more flexible way. I simply love my profession. Otherwise, I hope everything remains just as it is. I am grateful for my wonderful children, my lovely home, my dear friends – and the freedoms I enjoy.
Thank you very much.
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