Dara Ó Briain

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Biography

Dara Ó Briain (born on 4 February 1972) is one of the UK and Ireland’s favourite stand-up comedians and television presenters.

He is best known for hosting Mock The Week, Robot Wars, Three Men in a Boat, Dara and Ed’s Great Big Adventure, Stargazing Live, Dara Ó Briain’s Science Club, and the documentary Dara Ó Briain Meets Stephen Hawking, all on BBC Television.

He also currently hosts Comedy Central’s hit gameshow Blockbusters.

His latest stand-up show, Voice of Reason, has been performed across the globe, touring in the UK & Ireland, Scandinavia, mainland Europe, Australia and the Middle East.

Dara 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 read Mathematical Physics.

He came to prominence in Ireland as host of topical panel show Don’t Feed the Gondolas.

He later co-founded the television production company Happy Endings Productions, whose most famous show in Ireland is The Panel.

His big break in UK television came in 2003 when he became host of BBC Two’s The Live Floor Show. This led to an appearance as guest – and, ultimately, four appearances as guest host of – the popular news quiz, Have I Got News for You. By this time, he had moved to the UK and was working on the British circuit full-time.

Dara has hosted eighteen successful series of the comedy panel game Mock the Week for BBC television, and recently hosted BBC Two’s reboot of Robot Wars.

He also hosted BBC Two’s The Apprentice: You’re Fired for three years.

He also appeared as a member of the Three Men in a Boat, alongside Griff Rhys Jones and Rory McGrath.

In 2007 Dara fronted the BBC comedy interview programme Turn Back Time and, from 2011, co-hosted BBC One’s astronomical show Stargazing Live, alongside Professor Brian Cox.

He is one of the most sought-after award show hosts in Britain, and regularly hosts the BAFTA Games Awards.

Dara tours regularly, and has performed shows all over world, from Moscow to Sydney, Tromsø to Malta, and has recorded five live DVDs for Universal Pictures. He also holds the record for the most appearances in a year for Dublin’s legendary Vicar Street.

Dara released the bestselling book Tickling The English in 2009 and, more recently, his non-fiction children’s book about space, Beyond The Sky, was nominated for Best Book with Facts at the 2018 Blue Peter Brook Awards.

In 2018 Dara wrote the follow up book, Secret Science – The Amazing World Beyond your Eyes, which was received with great critical acclaim.

[Source: Dara's website, 24/06/2022.]