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Dan O’Neill is an explorer, wildlife filmmaker, and presenter for major broadcasters including the BBC, Sky TV, National Geographic, and Curiosity Stream. He is widely recognised as the first openly LGBTQ wildlife presenter to host a series for a major global network, and as a passionate advocate for representation, equity, and inclusion within science and conservation. Blending field science with powerful storytelling, Dan brings themes of resilience, drive, and identity to life through stories from some of the most remote and extreme environments on Earth.
Dan’s career spans expedition leadership, scientific research, and broadcast media. He holds a BSc in Zoology from the University of Sheffield and an MA in Wildlife Filmmaking from the University of the West of England. His early career included field research roles at the Iwokrama Research Centre and leadership within the University of Sheffield Natural History Society. In 2020, Dan became Chief Executive Officer of the Wilderland Film Festival and released the viral short film Queen of Birds, which has since amassed more than two million views. He went on to direct and present the BBC documentary Snow Leopards: Ghosts in the Snow and led expeditions, including a scientific journey along Fiji’s Rewa River.
In 2023, Dan was named Explorer in Residence at the Snow Leopard Trust and hosted multiple wildlife series, including Giants for Curiosity Stream and Nature’s Ultimate Survivors. That same year, he collaborated with Attitude Magazine on the #SeaOurFuture campaign, teaming up with drag artist Bimini to bring ocean advocacy into LGBTQ+ cultural spaces. In 2024, Dan fronted National Geographic’s Zombie Animals and served as Senior Mammal Scientist on an expedition in the Mayan jungles. His work has been featured by outlets including The i, Broadcast Magazine, Attitude Magazine, and Gay Times.
Alongside his media work, Dan is a committed LGBTQ+ advocate whose personal experiences of discrimination have shaped his approach to leadership, resilience, and visibility. In 2025, he began working with The Wildlife Trust on equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives and was named Leader of Attitude’s 101 Trailblazers STEM category. Dan works with the University of Bristol as an Honorary Research Associate and Lecturer, and is pursuing his PhD on expanding our understanding of secretive carnivores using emerging technology with the Bristol Veterinary School. As a speaker, Dan weaves together science, exploration, and lived experience, inspiring audiences to rethink leadership, inclusion, and humanity’s relationship with the natural world.
Dan O’Neill is regularly booked to engage audiences at events, read their latest feedback below:
“It was fantastic to have Dan join us for our Pride night event to celebrate the RVC and BVLGBT+. Dan’s talk was both informative and inspiring, and the audience were captivated throughout. It was great to hear about the experiences of an ‘out’ gay man working in wildlife filmmaking, and his stories gave us all a lot to think about and reflect on. Working with Dan prior to the event, we felt in very safe hands, and his enthusiasm for the evening gave us the confidence our event would be a success.”
“Dan’s personal style of storytelling is truly moving and inspiring.”
“Dan was an absolute delight to work with. He gave an inspiring talk to our college and university students who were fascinated and intrigued in equal measure. Dan discussed both his route into documentary filmmaking and his experiences on various shoots across the world including some hair raising encounters with a variety if wild animals! I would recommend Dan as a guest speaker and we’d love to add him to future events that we run at Confetti.”
The LGBT Speakers Agency has been one of the UK’s leading bureaus for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender speakers since 2020. We supply speakers for corporate and public events across the world, and cater to both in-person occasions and online webinars. Our roster includes athletes, psychologists, celebrities and more, to ensure that audiences of all demographics receive tailored, impactful strategies for inclusion.
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