Media Speakers Archives - Page 2 of 5 - After Dinner Speakers & Comedians

Geoff Norcott

Geoff Norcott is a comedy writer and standup who has forged a reputation not just as a popular live performer, but for setting himself politically apart from his comedian peers.

Describing himself as ‘right leaning’ Geoff is subverting the view that all comedians automatically take a left-wing view of politics and the world. Especially relevant in these politically unpredictable times, he delivers an alternative view, without being dogmatic or uncritical of all political persuasions. A working class boy who grew up on a council estate to become an English teacher, Geoff contradicts many assumptions with well-crafted topical jokes, asides and stories. He looks at the difference between genuine beliefs and being controversial for the sake of it and what it means to be, as in the title of one of his hit Edinburgh shows, ‘right leaning but well meaning’. The Telegraph has described Geoff as “objectively funny regardless of your politics.”

In addition to the likes of Live at the Apollo and 8 Out of 10 Cats, Geoff has featured on Nish Kumar’s BBC2 satire show The Mash Report, and his political stance has seen him appear on Question Time, Daily Politics, and Radio 4’s Today programme. He’s also written for the Telegraph and New Statesman.

Brian Moore

Brian Moore originally trained as a solicitor, becoming a partner in not one but two law firms. Brian carried on as a practicing solicitor throughout his rugby career.

Brian’s attached name on the rugby pitch ‘The Pitbull’ speaks for itself, he was certainly persistent and was known for just never letting go.
He gained 64 Caps for England and went on 2 British Lions Tours, 1989 Australia and 1993 New Zealand. He was part of an England team that won 3 Grand Slams and in 1991 was voted Whitbread Rugby World Player of the Year.
Brain is now a non restrained sportsman-turned-broadcaster, never failing to say exactly what he thinks as in his After Dinner Speaking, one not to be missed.

Mark Steel

Mark started doing stand-up in 1982, around the circuit of bizarre gigs, going on after jugglers and escapologists and people that banged nails into their ear. Then came the Comedy Store and Jongleurs and getting bottled off at The Tunnel, and then a regular slot on Radio 4’s Loose Ends.
Mark has also done weekly columns in Socialist Worker, the Guardian and the Independent. There was a book called ‘Vive le Revolution’, and he’s been on various panel shows like Have I Got News For You and QI, and on Room 101, and on Question Time he got very confused when he insulted a member of the Tory shadow cabinet, and afterwards he said Mark was splendid and invited me for a drink. And he’s spoken at lots of demonstrations and union meetings and protests, and appeared at quite a few benefits, and yet capitalism still seems to rule the world. ‘Maybe I’m a jinx’ he says…

John Pienaar

John is the BBC’s Senior Political Correspondent, both on television news and Radio 5 Live and is therefore in the ideal position within the political sphere to give his opinions and ideas on contemporary politics. John is an experienced facilitator and chairman of conferences as well as an incisive speaker on the politics, current affairs and the environment. He was also invited to take part in a celebrity boxing show, only for it to be cancelled. This led him to an interesting part of his speaking, the idea of an election reality show. Very amusing and interesting

Rory Bremner

“Rory” Bremner, is a Scottish impressionist and comedian, noted for his work in political satire and impressions of British public figures. He is also known for his work on Mock the Week as a panellist, award-winning show Rory Bremner…Who Else? and sketch comedy series Bremner, Bird and Fortune, which featured veteran comedians John Bird and John Fortune.

Born in Edinburgh, Rory Bremner was educated at Wellington College and went on to attend King’s College, London, where he graduated with an honours degree in French, German… and imitating lecturers. While still at university, he performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and began his career on the satirical radio shows News Revue (LBC) and Weekending (BBC Radio) before embarking on a seven-year spell at the BBC.

Since then, he’s appeared in countless comedy shows from Have I Got News For You to Whose Line is it Anyway? including: Comic Relief, They Think It’s All Over, It’ll Be Alright on the Night, Mock the Week and QI.

He has now written and starred in over one hundred programmes for Channel Four, starting with Rory Bremner, Who Else? and including the specials: From Blair to Here, Blair did it all go wrong?, My Government and I, Geoffrey Malet – A Hero of Our Time, Bremner, Bird and Fortune at Her Majesty’s Pleasure (to coincide with the Queen’s Jubilee) and Between Iraq and a Hard Place.

Elsewhere, he appeared regularly on Breakfast with Frost, and has written and performed the BBC radio series Some of Our Pilots Are Missing and writes articles and diaries for The New Statesman, The Sunday Telegraph, The Sunday Times and The London Evening Standard.

Baroness Mone

Lady Mone is renowned as one of the UK’s most influential ladies. The multi-award winning Entrepreneur-turned-Parliamentarian is now Start-Up Business Tsar to the British Government and advocate for female equality in business.

Founder of Ultimo Brands International, the UK’s leading lingerie brand for the last two decades, she set out with a vision of helping woman look and feel their very best. It was upon that simple concept Lady Mone built her career and influence, being honoured with a Life Peerage to the House of Lords by the Prime Minister and an OBE from Her Majesty the Queen for her outstanding contributions to business.

The Baroness grew up in the impoverished East End of Glasgow when, at the age of fifteen, her father fell ill and was subsequently declared paraplegic and wheelchair bound for life. This forced Lady Mone to leave school without any qualifications in search of full-time employment, sparking her instinct for entrepreneurship. At the age of just 22, Lady Mone excelled herself to Head of Sales and Marketing in Scotland for the Glasgow-based Labatts Brewers. Unfortunately, being made redundant after two short years.

In 1996, after only six weeks out of work, Lady Mone was at at a dinner dance wearing a very uncomfortable cleavage-enhancing bra. It was here the Baroness had an epiphany on what the lingerie industry was missing, and the world-famous Ultimo bra was born.

After the launch of Ultimo, Lady Mone quickly established herself as one of Scotland’s finest exports, winning the World Young Business Achiever Award in 2000 at the Epcot Centre in Florida, as well as Business Woman of the Year at the Corporate Elite Awards in London. Lady Mone’s status as one of the UK’s leading entrepreneurs was confirmed soon after when Prince Charles invited her to join the board of Directors for The Prince’s Trust.

In October 2005, Lady Mone attended a speaking event with former US president Bill Clinton and Mikhail Gorbachev, leading to her involvement in setting up the Women’s Enterprise Project in the Middle East in support of The Sultan of Oman. It was then she began to realise that her experiences and wisdom could transform lives and inspire others in the face of adversity.

Despite facing a challenging few years in her private life, suffering an acrimonious divorce and battle to retain her business, Lady Mone is now one of the United Kingdom’s most notable global speakers. The Baroness has inspired, coached and mentored audiences and individuals in over 50 countries over the last two decades. This culminated in her being given a Life Peerage in 2015, then being asked by the Prime Minister David Cameron and the former Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Iain Duncan Smith to conduct The Mone Review; an insight into helping start-up businesses in deprived areas.

The proud mother of Rebecca, Declan and Bethany has now sold Ultimo to global lingerie giants MAS Holdings – one of the world’s largest manufacturers of intimates, with a $1.4 billion turnover and 63,000 employees. A truly inspiring story, Baroness Mone has now revealed all of her struggles and successes in her autobiography: “My Fight to the Top”, which has ranked at number one in three Amazon Charts.

Andrew Neil

Andrew Neil is a publisher, broadcaster and company chairman. He was named Journalist of the Year 2013 by Britain’s prestigious Political Studies Association and one of the 500 most influential people in the UK by Debrett’s in 2015.

In March 2015 The Times said “the ultimate test for assessing whether a party leader was fit to be Prime Minister is to put them in front of Andrew Neil for 40 minutes, the most forensic interviewer in broadcasting.”

He currently holds various roles: he is Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of Press Holdings Media Group, publishers of The Spectator, Spectator Australia and Apollo, the world-renowned art magazine. He is also Chairman of ITP and Chairman and joint owner of World Media Rights.

In addition to his business responsibilities, Andrew is a well-known anchorman on BBC TV. He currently presents three editions of the Daily Politics on BBC2 every week as well as the award-winning This Week on BBC1 every Thursday night. He also anchors Politics Europe, which is broadcast on BBC2, BBC News Channel and BBC World.

During his career, Neil has been House of Commons lobby correspondent in London, White House correspondent in Washington DC and Wall Street correspondent in New York – all for The Economist. He was made British Editor of The Economist in 1982.

The following year he left The Economist, to become Editor of The Sunday Times of London, one of the world’s most prestigious and influential newspapers. Over the next 11 years he turned it into the undisputed multi-section market leader, renowned for its investigative journalism and scoops.

While still editing The Sunday Times he also served as Executive Chairman of Sky Television, which he launched as Britain’s first multi-channel satellite TV platform. He created Sky News and brought The Simpsons to British screens.

Until recently he was a member of the International Advisory Board of Al Jazeera, the international news channel based in Doha, Qatar; and Publisher of The Scotsman Group of newspapers in Edinburgh for 10 years.

In 2019, Andrew stepped down from the long running BBC Show, This Week, and the broadcaster took the decision at that point to cancel the show, feeling that nobody could step into his shoes and continue the format as it was known.

John Humphrys

The formidable interviewer, author and Mastermind has sometimes been parodied for his tenacious approach to politicians on Today. He is also keen to expose their missuse of the English language. After dinner he likes to turn the tables and grill the inquisitor.

Dennis Taylor

Former World Snooker Champion in 1985 who made television history playing the epic match against Steve Davis.
A regular television personality, having appeared on Question of Sport several times, Strictly Come Dancing and BBC Sport.
Dennis is a natural after dinner speaker, bringing his Irish background into the act and with stories relayed with the emphasis firmly on humour.

Wayne Hemingway

Wayne Hemingway is co-founder of fashion label Red or Dead and HemingwayDesign.The brand won the Fashion Council’s Street Style Designer of the Year award three years running.
In 1999, after many years on the catwalk at London Fashion week, Wayne and his wife Gerardine sold Read or Dead and turned their focus from fashion to social housing. Wayne joined with building team Wimpey to work on various housing projects, his high profile project on Tyneside winning a series of major awards including Building Magazine’s Best Housing-Led Regeneration.
He also branched out into fashion consultancy in setting up HemingwayDesign. In Wayne’s presentation he argues that opportunities are still to be had, even in this economy. His positive business attitude is inspirational to others.