[1][2] Born on 29 May 1977 to Bengali parents from West Bengal, India, Faisal Islam was brought up in Didsbury, Manchester.

[2] Islam has reported on the ups and downs of the corporate world from government-subsidised arms dealers and failing PFI contracts to how bankers are trading weather.

[5] Islam was named as successor to the long-serving political editor Adam Boulton of Sky News; he took up his new post before the Scottish independence referendum took place in September 2014.

[9] In May 2009, Islam received the Wincott Foundation's award for Best Television Coverage of a Topical Issue, won particularly for his work on the growing financial problems of the Icelandic banks.

In January 2010, Islam was named Broadcast News Reporter of the Year by the WorkWorld Foundation for 2009, with the judges saying "his excellent writing converts abstract economics to something accessible to all, informing viewers in a compelling and original way.