Liz Bonnin - Speaker

Liz Bonnin has presented over 40 primetime programmes, encompassing a wide range of topics from wildlife documentaries, such as Super Smart Animals and Animals in Love, to hard-hitting environmental reports like Drowning in Plastic. This particular documentary delved into the ocean plastic crisis, successfully raising public awareness and igniting important discussions. With a Masters degree in wild animal biology from the Royal Veterinary College and Zoological Society of London, Liz's journey into science and wildlife presenting was far from premeditated. After completing university, she ventured into singing with a band and subsequently found herself hosting music award shows in Ireland. She even had the opportunity to present the cult-classic Top of the Pops. However, Liz eventually returned to her true passion and began working on BBC One's popular science magazine show, Bang Goes the Theory, which ran for eight series. Since then, Liz has made appearances on various notable shows, including BBC Two's Museum of Life, Horizon, Tomorrow's World, and BBC One's Meat: A Threat to our Planet? One of her most acclaimed series, Galapagos, consisted of three parts and involved joining a team of scientists to carry out groundbreaking research. During this series, Liz undertook her first submersible dive to a depth of 1km beneath the waves, which was the deepest anyone had gone in the Archipelago. Liz's most recent series, Our Changing Planet, started airing on BBC One in spring 2022. This seven-year diary-style documentary chronicles the efforts to preserve our planet's most endangered ecosystems. Additionally, she will be hosting The Island: 1.8 billion years in the making, which is set to air on RTE and BBC NI in early autumn 2022. Apart from her television work, Liz also presented What Planet Are We On? for BBC Sounds and Radio 5 Live. This podcast series examined the impact of human activities on our planet and explored practical solutions that can be adopted. Notable guests on the show included Sir David Attenborough, Idris Elba, and Christiana Figueres. Liz is also a regular speaker and host at science and natural history events across the country. Notable events include the National Science and Engineering Competition, the Natural History Museum's Wildlife Photographer of the Year Awards, New Scientist Live, and Blue Dot Festival. Her contributions to the field have been recognized with an Honorary Fellowship of the British Science Association, and she has also been elected as the first female president of The Wildlife Trusts. Born in France to a French father and a Trinidadian mother of Indian and Portuguese descent, Liz moved to Ireland at the age of nine. She thrives on challenging herself and pushing the boundaries of storytelling.