Dara O’Briain is a stand-up comedian and television presenter, popularly known in the UK for Hosting BBC 2’s Mock the Week and in Ireland for hosting RTE 2’s the Panel. He is one the few performers to host successful comedy shows in both the UK and his native Ireland at... Read more
Dara O’Briain is a stand-up comedian and television presenter, popularly known in the UK for Hosting BBC 2’s Mock the Week and in Ireland for hosting RTE 2’s the Panel.
He is one the few performers to host successful comedy shows in both the UK and his native Ireland at the same time. He started his career in television as a children’s presenter on RTÉ whilst performing his first stand-up gigs on the Irish comedy circuit
After studying at University College, Dublin, where he did a degree in Mathematical Physics. He spent three years as a presenter on the bilingual Irish and English children’s programme Echo Island but came to prominence as a team captain on the topical panel show Don’t Feed The Gondolas. He left the show midway through its fifth season in order to perform at the Adelaide and Melbourne comedy festivals.
Dara O’Briain later co-founded the television production company Happy Endings Productions, whose most famous show in Ireland was The Panel. The show has become one of the most talked about shows in Ireland and was twice nominated for the Best Entertainment show IFTA (Irish Film and Television Award). His big break in UK television came in 2003 when he became host of BBC2’s Live Floor Show. This led to an appearance as a guest and ultimately, four appearances as guest host of the popular news quiz, Have I Got News For You.
He has just finished hosting the eleventh series of the comedy panel game Mock the Week on BBC television, and other notable television work includes two documentaries re-creating the legendary British comedy novel “Three Men in a Boat”, where he rowed down the Thames with Griff Rhys Jones and Rory McGrath, also for the BBC and the comedy interview programme “Turn Back Time”. In 2006, he conducted his third and largest national tour of the United Kingdom and Ireland. This included 66 shows across the UK as well as 9 nights sold out in Dublin. His second night in The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in London was recorded for his first live DVD, released on November 13 2006.
In 2009 Dara O’Briain published a book entitled Tickling the English and is about what he perceives it means to be English.
From 3 to 5 January 2011, Ó Briain and Professor Brian Cox presented Stargazing Live on BBC Two, three programmes based at the Jodrell Bank Observatory, scheduled to coincide with the conjunction of Jupiter and Uranus, a partial solar eclipse, and the Quadrantid meteor shower.[17] The two presenters hosted a second series of three hour-long programmes, plus follow-up 30 minute shows called Stargazing Live: Back to Earth, from 16 to 18 January 2012, also on BBC Two. In 2013 they presented the third series, again accompanied by Back to Earth, from 8 to 10 January.
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You can book Dara O'Briain through London Speaker Bureau by submitting the enquiry form on this page or calling our team. One of our consultants will respond promptly with Dara's current availability, speaking fees and any specific requirements for your event.
Dara O'Briain's speaking fees depend on the event format (in-person or virtual), the location, the length of the engagement and the level of customisation required. Please contact London Speaker Bureau for an up-to-date fee quote for Dara tailored to your event.
Dara O'Briain speaks on a range of business, leadership and industry subjects. Talks can be shaped around your audience, industry and strategic objectives - share your event brief with London Speaker Bureau and we will work with Dara to align the content with your delegates and goals.
London Speaker Bureau can book Dara O'Briain for events worldwide, subject to Dara's schedule. Please send us your event date, location and format and we will confirm availability and handle travel and logistics on your behalf.
Virtual and hybrid keynotes are now a standard part of the speaking industry. Please contact London Speaker Bureau to confirm whether Dara O'Briain is available to deliver a virtual session for your event and on which platform (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, a bespoke studio or your own).
Most keynote speeches run between 45 and 60 minutes, often followed by a 15-30 minute Q&A. Other formats - shorter conference slots, panel appearances or longer workshop sessions - may also be possible. Share your agenda with London Speaker Bureau and we will confirm what Dara can accommodate.
London Speaker Bureau will brief Dara O'Briain on your audience profile, sector and objectives so the keynote can be shaped around your event. The level of customisation possible depends on the speaker and the lead time - contact us with your brief and we will confirm what Dara can offer.
Dara O'Briain delivers keynotes in English. This profile may not list every language available; ask London Speaker Bureau to confirm. If you require simultaneous interpretation or a multilingual format, please mention this in your enquiry and London Speaker Bureau will arrange it for you.
Dara O'Briain's areas of expertise include a range of business, leadership and industry subjects. To get a clear sense of Dara's style, credentials and how they engage an audience, please review the biography, popular talks and any videos or testimonials shown on this page, or request a detailed speaker brief from London Speaker Bureau.
Dara O'Briain can be booked through London Speaker Bureau for corporate conferences, leadership events, internal team meetings, association gatherings and private client engagements where expertise in a range of business, leadership and industry subjects is relevant. Details of Dara's background and previous engagements are included in the biography above; contact us if you would like a more detailed list of past clients or case studies.
Beyond keynote speeches, many of the speakers on our roster also take part in workshops, executive masterclasses, panel discussions and fireside chats. Contact London Speaker Bureau with your preferred format and we will confirm what Dara O'Briain is able to offer alongside or instead of a keynote.
We generally recommend enquiring at least three to twelve months in advance to secure your preferred date with Dara O'Briain, particularly during peak conference seasons. Where possible we also accommodate shorter lead times - please contact London Speaker Bureau to check Dara's current availability for your dates.