[2] Iqbal was educated at Garrett Green Comprehensive School in Tooting, South London, followed by the University of East Anglia, from which she graduated with a BA in American Studies in 1985.
She has also hosted the BBCs HARDtalk Extra programme, interviewing prominent figures from the arts, including Sting and Jacqueline Wilson.
In 2009, Iqbal applied for the Arts Editor position with BBC News but the role went to Will Gompertz.
She left the BBC in July 2023, rejoining Princeton as Visiting Professor and Lecturer in School of Public and International Affairs.
[8] Iqbal is separated from husband George Arney, a presenter of The World Today.