Hardeep Singh Kohli: From Comedy and TV to the Courtroom
Hardeep Singh Kohli, a familiar face on British TV, is now in the spotlight for reasons no one expected. The Scottish comedian and broadcaster, remembered by many for his stint on Celebrity Big Brother in 2018, will stand trial at Glasgow Sheriff Court in August 2025 after denying six charges of non-recent sexual offences. The charges relate to incidents said to involve three different women, spanning a period from 2007 to 2016. He has strongly denied all allegations.
Kohli's career started a long way from courtrooms. He was born in Brent, London, in January 1969, but Glasgow became his real home after his Sikh family moved north when he was just four. His father, who first worked as a teacher and later became a landlord in Bishopbriggs, and his mother, a social worker, built a new life in Scotland after arriving from India in the 1960s. Hardeep and his younger brother Sanjeev (who also found fame as a writer and actor) attended local schools before Hardeep studied Law at the University of Glasgow, graduating in 1990—though he quickly turned to the arts instead of a legal career.
A Life in the Spotlight and Behind the Scenes
Kohli’s rise in Scottish and British media was no accident. He became a regular on BBC radio and television, with a list of credits that includes Channel 4’s “Meet the Magoons” and “Grease Monkeys.” He showed off his cooking skills as a 2006 finalist on Celebrity MasterChef, and gained fresh attention from Big Brother fans in 2018. Beyond presenting, he’s worked as both actor and director, delivering a mix of comedy and drama that drew on his unique Scottish-Indian background.
He was never shy about sharing his political views, either. In the lead-up to the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, Hardeep took an active role in campaign events, hoping to sway voters to the Yes side. When independence was defeated at the polls, he followed up by formally joining the Scottish National Party.
But his time in the public eye took a turn in 2023, when police arrested Kohli and charged him with multiple sexual offences. The allegations cover nearly a decade, and some of the reported incidents allegedly happened at BBC studios in Glasgow—one of the very spots where he made his mark in broadcasting. The case has generated huge interest, not just because of the accusations but because of Kohli’s high profile and outspoken personality.
With the trial officially set for 9 August 2025, all eyes in Scottish media and entertainment are on what's likely to be a closely watched legal battle. Kohli has said he will fight to clear his name, and for now, the story is another example of how sudden and dramatic the shift from TV fame to courtroom drama can be.
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