Liz Bonnin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Liz Bonnin
Bonnin in 2018
Born	Elizabeth Bonnin (1976-09-16) 16 September 1976 (age 48) Paris, France
Citizenship	France Ireland
Education	Trinity College Dublin (BA) Royal Veterinary College (MSc)
Occupation	Television presenter
Years active	1999–present
Musical career
Origin	Paris, France
Genres	Pop
Instruments	Vocals
Labels	Polydor

Elizabeth Bonnin (born September 16, 1976) is a French-Irish TV presenter. She is well-known for her work on science, wildlife, and nature shows. Liz has presented many popular programs in both Ireland and the United Kingdom.

She became famous for shows like Galapagos, How the Earth Works, and Blue Planet Live. From 2009 to 2014, she co-presented the BBC series Bang Goes the Theory. Since 2013, she has also co-presented Countrywise for ITV. In 2019, Liz presented Meat: A Threat to our Planet? on BBC One. Many people see her as one of Britain's top nature presenters.

Early Life and Education

Liz Bonnin was born in Paris, France. Her mother was from Trinidad and Tobago and had Indian and Portuguese family roots. Her father was French-Martiniquan and worked as a dentist. When Liz was nine years old, her family moved to Ireland.

Liz studied biochemistry at Trinity College Dublin and earned a bachelor's degree. She also has a master's degree in wild animal biology and conservation. She got this degree in 2008 from the Zoological Society of London and the Royal Veterinary College. For her master's project, she tracked tigers in Nepal. She still helps with big cat conservation projects at the Zoological Society of London.

Liz Bonnin's TV Career

Liz Bonnin started her career singing backing vocals for a band called The Pale. She then joined an Irish girl pop group called Chill. They signed with Polydor Records but broke up before making an album. The group did sing on an album called Faith of Our Feathers, performing the song "We Are Family".

She got a job hosting the IRMA Awards, which led to more TV roles in Ireland. She worked on shows like The Den and Off the Rails. In 2002, she moved to London to present shows on different TV channels.

In 2002, Liz became a presenter for the Channel 4 morning show RI:SE. She focused on entertainment news for this show. In the same year, she also became a regular presenter on Top of the Pops in the UK.

In 2004, Liz took part in a fun event to help the RSPCA. She was locked in a giant kennel with other famous people to raise awareness and money for animals.

Focus on Science and Wildlife

Since 2005, Liz Bonnin has focused on science and nature programs. She presented Gadgets, Gadgets, Gadgets in 2005. From 2009 to 2014, she co-presented the BBC science series Bang Goes the Theory. In 2008, she presented Science Friction in Ireland. This show looked at difficult science topics. She also helped with the BBC Two series Museum of Life, which explored the Natural History Museum.

In October 2010, she joined the team for Autumnwatch. In January 2011, she presented parts of BBC Two's Stargazing Live from Hawaii. In May 2011, she co-presented Egypt's Lost Cities on BBC One.

Her show about animal intelligence, Super Smart Animals, was filmed in 2011 and shown in February 2012. Liz has also presented several Horizon specials on BBC Two. These shows covered topics from future technology to whether zoos are good for animals.

In June 2013, she presented a two-part show called Operation Snow Tiger. She worked with scientists in Russia to study tigers. Since 2013, Liz has been a presenter for the ITV series Countrywise. In November 2013, she presented Animal Odd Couples on BBC One. She also co-presented How the Earth Works on the Discovery Channel.

In October 2014, she presented a three-part Horizon series about cats. In February 2015, she presented Animals in Love on BBC One. This show explored the feelings of animals like elephants and monkeys.

In August 2015, Liz co-hosted Big Blue Live for BBC One. This series showed marine life in Monterey Bay, California. In early 2016, she returned to Stargazing Live, reporting from the European Space Agency's astronaut training center. She also co-presented Cats v Dogs: Which is Best? with Chris Packham.

Starting in March 2017, Liz presented a new BBC One series called Galapagos. This show explored the amazing animals found on and around the Galapagos Islands. In July 2017, she co-presented Wild Alaska Live. In 2018, Liz presented Drowning In Plastic, a documentary about plastic pollution in the ocean. In 2020, she presented Penguins: Meet the Family.

In November 2023, she presented a four-part series for BBC Two called Liz Bonnin's Wild Caribbean. This show explored the wildlife and nature in the Caribbean. It also highlighted conservation efforts and how local communities connect with nature.

In January 2024, Liz joined palaeontologists in Wyoming, USA. She presented Secrets of the Jurassic Dinosaurs for BBC Two. In February 2024, Liz launched a podcast called 'Dead River'. The podcast tells the story of the Mariana dam disaster in Brazil. It covers the history of mining and the ongoing fight for justice for the victims.

Personal Life

Liz Bonnin grew up with her older sister, Benni. She was very close to her grandmother, who passed away in 2003. Liz has moved back to London. She appeared on the BBC show Who Do You Think You Are? in December 2016. On the show, she learned about her family history in Trinidad and Martinique.

Liz is a role model for EDF Energy's Pretty Curious program. This program encourages teenage girls to study science subjects in school.

On January 5, 2021, Liz shared that her mother had passed away. Her mother had become sick with COVID-19 during Christmas 2020.

Filmography

Television