Glasgow student becomes first-ever Scottish voice to feature on Ring doorbells

A Glasgow student has been cast as the first-ever Scottish doorbell voice.

Ring brought its Voice of the Nation casting search to Glasgow, Aberdeen and Edinburgh in August last year in an effort to find the next person to lend speech to their doorbells in the UK.

Azkah Sardar, a medical student from Glasgow, heard about the job search on the radio and decided to audition at the Silverburn shopping centre.

Despite “growing up shy,” Azkah stood out among 300 candidates for the Scotland-wide casting. After being selected by judge Edith Bowman, she has been officially unveiled as Ring’s Voice of the Nation.

To celebrate the launch, the 23-year-old also voiced a bespoke Scots language Quick Reply: “We’re no in the noo, but haud on! Afore ye go it’d be pure dead brilliant if you’d leave a wee message. Haste ye back!”

She said: “It means a lot to be chosen as Ring’s Voice of the Nation. I thought it was a really cool idea as it hadn’t been done before, so I thought I’d go along to the auditions and just give it a shot. Scotland isn’t a huge place, but we have so much to offer.

“We’re not as represented as we should be and it’s amazing that Ring is making steps towards making it happen. Not many big brands go the extra mile to use regional accents in their technology, so I think this campaign has been fantastic.”

The search was launched after research from company found that the Scottish accent is one of the most endearing in the UK – with just under half of respondents (44%) agreeing that it is the friendliest in the whole of Britain.

Edith Bowman said: “Azkah is a brilliant choice for Scotland’s Voice of the Nation. We were looking for someone with lots of energy, enthusiasm and personality and that’s exactly what we got. We received so many amazing entries – from the pop-up auditions to social media – so it was a really tough decision.

“The Glasgow accent is one of many beautiful varieties north of the border and we hope to hear it on doorbells across the UK.

“I’ve loved being a part of something so innovative and celebratory it’s been great seeing this campaign come to life. Our Scottish voice is now on Ring’s Quick Replies, so make sure you activate your chosen greeting in the app for Burns Night!”

Dave Ward, managing director EU and international at Ring, said: “We’re delighted to feature a Scottish voice on our Ring Video Doorbell Quick replies. Azkah’s voice captures the warmth and friendliness that Scottish accents are well known for, making her the perfect candidate to greet visitors at doorsteps across the country.

“Our Voice of the Nation search was a huge success, and we’re grateful to all who auditioned. We set out to celebrate regional dialects and we are thrilled to start in Scotland.”

Users can now set up the Scottish accent Quick Reply on the Ring app – just in time for Burns Night.