Bias against Anjali Rao's British accent, not budget cuts, could be the biggest stumbling block for the award-winning TV journalist

Former SBS Dateline presenter Anjali Rao makes two things very clear during our exclusive chat; firstly, no she did not leave SBS because of the budget cuts 'but I might be doing them a favour by leaving' and secondly; perhaps most importantly, she hopes her distinctive British accent won't stop her landing a dream role at home in Australia.

Rao enjoyed a successful six-year stint at CNN International but the lure of her homeland proved too much in early 2013 and she signed with SBS to host Dateline.

Fast-forward almost two years and another challenge beckons.

'I am up for any broadcaster, commercial or public,' she told Daily Mail Australia but, she freely admits, there may be a problem with that plan.

'I am not going to deny that there have been issues surrounding my accent and I cannot say that I have experienced this at any time, anywhere in any country other than since moving to this country and this is my country, so it's been a little difficult,' she said.

Anjali Rao had a successful broadcasting career with CNN before moving back to Australia to host Dateline on SBS two years back

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