Is this you? Or do you exclusively represent this speaker?

About

Gender: Male
Nationality: United Kingdom
Languages: English
Travels from: United Kingdom
Speakers FAQ

Biography Highlights

  • Adventurer and writer Benedict Allen has explored some of the world’s remotest regions and in doing so has come to understand that human emotion, teamwork and leadership unites people of all cultures.

Biography

Benedict Allen: One of Britain’s most prominent modern-day explorers. Speaker, Presenter, Filmmaker, and Author.

Described by the Radio Times as ‘Britain’s most fearless man’ and by former Director-General of the BBC Mark Thompson as ‘Part of the history of television’, world-renowned explorer Benedict Allen skillfully adapts his host of hair-raising tales to motivate and invigorate audiences. Known for his techniques of immersion among indigenous communities and solo-exploring some of the planet’s most remote landscapes, Allen has voluntarily endured excruciating experiences all in the name of discovery.

Benedict has been credited as the first TV adventurer. In 1992, Benedict began filming his expeditions through an innovation of the time, a hand-held video recorder. The novel idea allowed millions to finally witness the life of an explorer without the artifice of a larger crew, re-defining the landscape of TV itself.

In 2017, Allen went missing while undertaking a solo expedition to part of Papua New Guinea. He had set out to meet with the Yaifo tribe with whom he had lived 30 years prior. Having tackled the notorious Central Range, trapped in dense jungle with rival communities at war, Benedict contracted malaria and dengue fever. With no phone or GPS, it was only when he failed to attend a talk in Hong Kong that his disappearance sparked an international media manhunt. Ultimately, Benedict was extracted by helicopter. To this day, Benedict opts to rely not on his Western companions and technology, but solely on the skills and knowledge of the indigenous communities within which he immerses himself.

As well as having shared his experiences through 6 television series and multiple bestselling books, Benedict enjoys motivating audience through his talks. He aspires to educate, entertain and inspire through personal anecdotes. When speaking of thriving in a competitive world, Allen compares his own extraordinary experiences of survival to the global ‘jungle’ we all inhabit, whether that be the office, the marketplace or the world economy. Themes Allen touches upon include how to respond in a crisis; the value of perseverance; the importance of adaptability; maintaining self-belief; creating an effective team; developing leadership capabilities; being able to listen to and learn from those around you.

Whether at a corporate event, in an educational setting, at a festival, or at a trade show, with key themes including endurance, self-belief, discipline and motivation, Benedict’s extensive knowledge, wide-ranging experiences and unwavering resolve are guaranteed to inspire and leave his audience thinking. Book Benedict Allen and stir your audiences with lasting tales of adventure and resilience.

Videos

Topics

In a brand new show, adventurer-explorer Benedict Allen tells the whole unvarnished truth of his most recent adventures, telling exhilarating tales from his life as an explorer and sharing never-before-seen material from his travels across the globe.

Available: Virtually
Available: Virtually
Available: Virtually

Books

Explorer: The Quest for Adventure and the Great Unknown

What does it mean to be an explorer in the twenty-first century? This is the story of what first led Benedict Allen to head for the farthest reaches of our planet – at a time when there were still valleys and ranges known only to the remote communities who inhabited them. It is also the story of why, thirty years later, he is still exploring. Benedict decides to journey back to a clouded mountain in New Guinea to find an old friend called Korsai, and to fulfil a promise they made as young men. Explorer tells the story of what it means to be ‘lost’ and ‘found’.

Read more..

Explorer: The Quest for Adventure and the Great Unknown

What does it mean to be an explorer in the twenty-first century? This is the story of what first led Benedict Allen to head for the farthest reaches of our planet – at a time when there were still valleys and ranges known only to the remote communities who inhabited them. It is also the story of why, thirty years later, he is still exploring. Benedict decides to journey back to a clouded mountain in New Guinea to find an old friend called Korsai, and to fulfil a promise they made as young men. Explorer tells the story of what it means to be ‘lost’ and ‘found’.

Hunting the Gugu

From the vast island of Sumatra, Benedict Allen brings back the strangest of travellers’ tales concerning black-maned ape-men as Theodore Hull – octogenarian survivor of Japanese labour camps – entices him onto the trail of the Gugu. A tangle of folktales leads Allen to the aboriginal Kubu people who can guide him into the highlands where the ape-men screech all night long, shaking every fibre of the forest. But the twentieth century is encroaching, and Kubu say that the Gugus’ rage can no longer be appeased by traditional gifts of tobacco. Allen ventures into the dark, living forest, watched by unseen eyes . . .

Read more..

Hunting the Gugu

From the vast island of Sumatra, Benedict Allen brings back the strangest of travellers' tales concerning black-maned ape-men as Theodore Hull - octogenarian survivor of Japanese labour camps - entices him onto the trail of the Gugu. A tangle of folktales leads Allen to the aboriginal Kubu people who can guide him into the highlands where the ape-men screech all night long, shaking every fibre of the forest. But the twentieth century is encroaching, and Kubu say that the Gugus' rage can no longer be appeased by traditional gifts of tobacco. Allen ventures into the dark, living forest, watched by unseen eyes . . .

Into the Abyss

Why do explorers put themselves in dangerous situations? And, once the worst possible situation occurs, how do they find the resources to survive? In answering these questions, Benedict Allen weaves a series of tales from his own experience as well as that of other explorers including Columbus, Cortez, Scott, Shakelton, Stanley, Livingstone and their modern counterparts: Joe Simpson and Ranulf Fiennes.

Read more..

Into the Abyss

Why do explorers put themselves in dangerous situations? And, once the worst possible situation occurs, how do they find the resources to survive? In answering these questions, Benedict Allen weaves a series of tales from his own experience as well as that of other explorers including Columbus, Cortez, Scott, Shakelton, Stanley, Livingstone and their modern counterparts: Joe Simpson and Ranulf Fiennes.

Speaker Bureaus and Talent Agencies

Benedict Allen is available to book via these agencies
Recommended
Jo Sarsby Management
Speaking Agency
Speakers Associates
Speaking Agency

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Check our privacy policy for more details.