Liz Bonnin


Elizabeth Bonnin is a French-born Irish science, wildlife and natural history presenter, who has worked on television in both Ireland and the United Kingdom. She is also a biochemist and wild animal biologist. She presented morning show and music show Top of the Pops in the early 2000s.
She is best known for presenting wildlife and science programmes including Galapagos, How the Earth Works, Animals in Love, Stargazing Live, Blue Planet Live, Cats v Dogs: Which is Best? and Should We Close Our Zoos?.
She co-presented the BBC factual series Bang Goes the Theory from 2009 until 2014 and since 2013, has co-presented Countrywise for ITV.
In 2019, she presented "Meat: A Threat to our Planet?"

Early life and education

Bonnin was born in Paris to a Trinidadian mother, of Indian and Portuguese descent, and a French-Martiniquan father, who was a dentist. Her family moved to Ireland when she was nine years old.
Bonnin has a bachelor's degree in biochemistry from Trinity College, Dublin, She also holds a master's degree in wild animal biology and conservation from the Zoological Society of London and the Royal Veterinary College, for which she tracked tigers in Nepal. She continues to work on big cat conservation programmes at the Zoological Society.

Career

Bonnin began her career by joining an Irish girl pop group named Chill, who signed to Polydor but broke up before recording. The band had performed on Dustin the Turkey's third album Faith of Our Feathers, duetting on "We Are Family". She was offered a job hosting the IRMA Awards which led to presenting roles on RTÉ Television in Ireland, on The Den, Telly Bingo, ' and for two years, Off the Rails with Fiona McShane. At the time she was in a relationship with the publisher John Ryan. In 2002, she moved to London to present on a number of TV channels.
In 2002, she became one of the presenters of the Channel 4 morning show ', specialising in reporting on entertainment-related stories. In the same year she became a regular presenter on Top of the Pops in the UK.
In 2004, Bonnin was locked in a giant kennel along with MPs Paul Burstow, Evan Harris and Ivan Henderson and actress Liza Goddard, BBC Newsround presenter Lizzie Greenwood and DJ Becky Jago in a stunt to launch the annual RSPCA Week to raise awareness and funds.
Since 2005, Bonnin has been involved in science broadcasting. She presented the show Gadgets, Gadgets, Gadgets in 2005 and co-presented the BBC science series Bang Goes the Theory on BBC One from 2009 until 2014. In 2008, Bonnin presented a documentary series Science Friction on RTÉ One which looked at taboos in discussions of scientific topics in Ireland. She also contributed to BBC Two's series on the work of the London Natural History Museum, Museum of Life.
In October 2010, she joined the cast of Autumnwatch and in January 2011, she presented segments of BBC Two's Stargazing Live from various areas of Hawaii including atop Mauna Kea. In May 2011, she co-presented BBC One's Egypt's Lost Cities.

Personal life

Bonnin grew up with her older sister Benni, while she said that "I was extremely close to my granny, who passed away in 2003." She has moved back to London.
Bonnin is a role model for EDF Energy's Pretty Curious programme, which is aimed at encouraging teenage girls to study science-based subjects at school. She has said in a 2016 interview, "FHM offered me a spread but I said no."

Filmography

;Television
YearTitleRolesChannel
1999–2000'Co-presenterRTÉ One
2000–?Off the RailsCo-presenterRTÉ One
2002–?'Co-presenterChannel 4
2002–2003Top of the PopsCo-presenterBBC One
2003Never Mind the BuzzcocksGuestBBC Two
2004–2005Wild TrialsPresenterRTÉ
2005–?Gadgets, Gadgets, GadgetsCo-presenter
2008Science FrictionPresenterRTÉ One
2009–2014Bang Goes the TheoryCo-presenterBBC One
2009–2010Country TracksCo-presenterBBC Two
2010Museum of LifeCo-presenterBBC Two
2010–2011AutumnwatchGuest presenterBBC Two
2011—Stargazing LiveCo-presenterBBC One/BBC Two
2011Egypt's Lost CitiesPresenterBBC One
2011SpringwatchGuest presenterBBC Two
2012Super Smart AnimalsPresenterBBC One
2012Horizon: The Transit of VenusPresenterBBC Two
2013Tomorrow's World: A Horizon SpecialPresenterBBC Two
2013Operation Snow TigerPresenterBBC Two
2013—CountrywiseCo-presenterITV
2013Animal Odd CouplesPresenterBBC One
2013How the Earth WorksCo-presenterDiscovery Channel
2014Cat Watch 2014: The New Horizon ExperimentPresenterBBC Two
2014Animals Through The Night: Sleepover At The ZooCo-presenterBBC Four
2015Big Blue LiveCo-presenterBBC One
2015Animals in LovePresenterBBC One
2015India: Nature's WonderlandCo-presenterBBC Two
2016Cats v Dogs: Which is Best?Co-presenterBBC Two
2016Horizon – Should We Close Our Zoos?BBC Two
2016Nature's Epic JourneysPresenterBBC One
2017GalapagosPresenterBBC One
2017Wild Alaska LiveCo-presenterBBC One
2018Drowning In PlasticPresenterBBC One
2019Blue Planet LiveCo-presenterBBC One
2019Would I Lie to You?GuestBBC One
2019Snow AnimalsPresenterBBC One
2019Meat: A Threat to our Planet?PresenterBBC One