Rita Ora

Rita Ora was born Rita Sahatçiu on 26 November 1990 in Pristina, then part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (now Kosovo). She is the daughter of Vera (née Bajraktari), a psychiatrist, and Besnik Sahatçiu, a pub owner who studied economics. Her family, of Albanian heritage, fled political persecution and settled in London when she was an infant, growing up in Notting Hill. Ora attended the Sylvia Young Theatre School, where she began performing in school productions and open‑mic nights, laying the groundwork for a multifaceted entertainment career. Her early acting debut came at age 13 in the British drama series The Brief, followed by a role in the film Spivs (2004). After briefly auditioning for Eurovision, she secured a record deal with Roc Nation in 2008, becoming one of the label’s first signees and appearing in Jay‑Z’s “Young Forever” video.

In 2012 Ora burst onto the music scene with the UK chart‑topping single "Hot Right Now" with DJ Fresh, and her debut album Ora soon topped the UK Albums Chart, producing hits like "R.I.P." and "How We Do (Party)". Subsequent collaborations—including Iggy Azalea’s "Black Widow" (2014) and Charli XCX’s "Doing It" (2015)—cemented her global pop presence. She transitioned into acting, portraying Mia Grey in the Fifty Shades trilogy (2015‑2018), and later appeared in the Disney+ Beauty and the Beast prequel series (project on hold). As a television personality, Ora has judged The X Factor UK, The Masked Singer (UK and US), and coached on The Voice in both the UK and Australia. Her third album You & I (2023) continued her chart success, while her fashion collaborations with Adidas, Tezenis, and Primark showcase her style influence. Ora was named an honorary ambassador of Kosovo in 2015 and remains an active philanthropist, serving as a UNICEF UK ambassador. She married filmmaker Taika Waititi in 2022 and lives in Los Angeles.