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Neil Oliver (born 21 February 1967) is a British
television presenter A television presenter (or television host, some become a "television personality") is a person who introduces, hosts television show, television programs, often serving as a mediator for the program and the audience. Nowadays, it is common for ...
, archaeologist, historian and author. He has presented several documentary series on archaeology and history, including '' A History of Scotland'', ''
Vikings Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...
'', and ''
Coast The coast, also known as the coastline or seashore, is defined as the area where land meets the ocean, or as a line that forms the boundary between the land and the coastline. The Earth has around of coastline. Coasts are important zones in n ...
''. He is also an author of
popular history Popular history is a broad genre of historiography that takes a popular approach, aims at a wide readership, and usually emphasizes narrative, personality and vivid detail over scholarly analysis. The term is used in contradistinction to professio ...
books and
historical fiction Historical fiction is a literary genre in which the plot takes place in a setting related to the past events, but is fictional. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literature, it can also be applied to other ty ...
. He was the president of the
National Trust for Scotland The National Trust for Scotland for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, commonly known as the National Trust for Scotland ( gd, Urras Nàiseanta na h-Alba), is a Scottish conservation organisation. It is the largest membership organ ...
from 2017 to 2020.


Early life and education

Oliver was born in
Renfrew Renfrew (; sco, Renfrew; gd, Rinn Friù) is a town west of Glasgow in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. It is the historic county town of Renfrewshire. Called the "Cradle of the Royal Stewarts" for its early link with Scotland's former ...
and raised in
Ayr Ayr (; sco, Ayr; gd, Inbhir Àir, "Mouth of the River Ayr") is a town situated on the southwest coast of Scotland. It is the administrative centre of the South Ayrshire Subdivisions of Scotland, council area and the historic Shires of Scotlan ...
and
Dumfries Dumfries ( ; sco, Dumfries; from gd, Dùn Phris ) is a market town and former royal burgh within the Dumfries and Galloway council area of Scotland. It is located near the mouth of the River Nith into the Solway Firth about by road from the ...
where he attended
Dumfries Academy Dumfries ( ; sco, Dumfries; from gd, Dùn Phris ) is a market town and former royal burgh within the Dumfries and Galloway council area of Scotland. It is located near the mouth of the River Nith into the Solway Firth about by road from the ...
and then the
University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...
. He obtained an MA (Hons) in archaeology and then worked as a freelance archaeologist, before training as a journalist.


Television career

Oliver first appeared on television in the 2002
BBC Two BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream an ...
series ''
Two Men in a Trench ''Two Men in a Trench'' is a British comedic historical documentary television series, produced by the BBC, that ran from 2002 to 2004. Overview ''Two Men in a Trench'' follows archaeologists Tony Pollard and Neil Oliver around the British Isles ...
'', in which he and archaeologist
Tony Pollard Tony Pollard may refer to: *Tony Pollard (archaeologist) (born 1965), British archaeologist *Tony Pollard (American football) Tony Randall Pollard (born April 30, 1997) is an American football running back for the Dallas Cowboys of the National ...
visited historic British battlefields. He was also a co-author of the two books accompanying the series. In 2006, he presented ''The Face of Britain'' for
Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...
and ''Scotland's History: The Top Ten'' for the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
. Early in his career he also appeared on ''
The One Show ''The One Show'' is a British television magazine and chat show programme. Broadcast live on BBC One weeknights at 7:00 pm, it features topical stories and studio guests. It is currently co-hosted by Alex Jones, Jermaine Jenas, and Ronan K ...
'' and ''
Time Team ''Time Team'' is a British television programme that originally aired on Channel 4 from 16 January 1994 to 7 September 2014. It returned online in 2022 for two episodes released on YouTube. Created by television producer Tim ...
''. Oliver was a co-presenter of the first series of ''
Coast The coast, also known as the coastline or seashore, is defined as the area where land meets the ocean, or as a line that forms the boundary between the land and the coastline. The Earth has around of coastline. Coasts are important zones in n ...
'' in 2005, and replaced
Nicholas Crane Nicholas Crane (born 6 May 1954) is an English geographer, explorer, writer and broadcaster. Since 2004 he has written and presented four television series for BBC Two: ''Coast'', ''Great British Journeys'', '' Map Man'' and ''Town''. Early ...
as the show's main presenter for the second, third, fourth, and fifth series. He also presented ''
Coast Australia ''Coast'' is a BBC documentary series first broadcast on BBC Two television in 2005. It covers various subjects relating to both the natural and social history of the British coastline and also more recently, that of Britain's near neighbours. ...
'' (2013) and ''
Coast New Zealand ''Coast'' is a BBC documentary series first broadcast on BBC Two television in 2005. It covers various subjects relating to both the natural and social history of the British coastline and also more recently, that of Britain's near neighbours. ...
'' (2016). From 2006 to 2018 Oliver presented a number of history documentaries for the BBC, including '' A History of Scotland'' (2008) and '' Sacred Wonders of Britain'' (2013). In 2012, he wrote and presented ''
Vikings Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...
'', a three-part series on the
Vikings Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...
. In April 2021, Oliver was announced as a presenter for
GB News GB News is a British free-to-air television and radio news channel. The channel is available on Freeview, Freesat, Sky, YouView, Virgin Media and via the internet. Since 4 January 2022, an audio simulcast of the station is available on DAB+ ra ...
. He hosts a weekly current affairs and interview programme on the channel.


Politics

In 2014, Oliver stated that he was "proud of Britain" ahead of the
Scottish independence referendum A referendum on Scottish independence from the United Kingdom was held in Scotland on 18 September 2014. The referendum question was, "Should Scotland be an independent country?", which voters answered with "Yes" or "No". The "No" side wo ...
, saying that "this kind of internecine squabbling puts my teeth on edge. I would rather that it would just go away — or that it had never happened" and that he "liked the status quo". When he was appointed President of the
National Trust for Scotland The National Trust for Scotland for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, commonly known as the National Trust for Scotland ( gd, Urras Nàiseanta na h-Alba), is a Scottish conservation organisation. It is the largest membership organ ...
, thousands signed petitions calling on him to resign. In 2020, Oliver reasserted his opposition to
Scottish independence Scottish independence ( gd, Neo-eisimeileachd na h-Alba; sco, Scots unthirldom) is the idea of Scotland as a sovereign state, independent from the United Kingdom, and refers to the political movement that is campaigning to bring it about. S ...
, describing the uncertainty caused by the prospect of a second referendum as a "cancerous presence" and saying that "I'm a British citizen, that's how I see myself. Not in an argumentative way, I don't see that I should have to cede my right to understand myself as I am to some politician." Commenting on the British government's response to the coronavirus pandemic in 2021, Oliver said, "Lockdown is the biggest single mistake in world history". He also criticised the drive to vaccinate children in the UK against COVID-19, saying, "Never before in medical history has there been a proposal to vaccinate children against a disease that poses them no measurable harm. Added to this is the undeniable fact these vaccines for COVID are experimental, in that no data is available concerning long term effects." He likened the fight against government anti-COVID measures to the fight against
Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
, saying, "there's another battle of Britain being fought now. It's being fought by a minority outgunned and shouted down by those who would accept freedom handed to them by MPs on condition that they do as they are told. That's not freedom. That is tyranny." Oliver's opposition to coronavirus restrictions led to him leaving the unionist campaign group These Islands.
Tom Holland Thomas Stanley Holland (born 1 June 1996) is an English actor. His accolades include a British Academy Film Award, three Saturn Awards, a Guinness World Record and an appearance on the ''Forbes'' 30 Under 30 Europe list. Some publications h ...
, an advisory board member of These Islands, said that Oliver's "current focus was not compatible with our own". On GB News, Oliver spoke on the subject of the
2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. An ...
, saying "I'll be honest. I don't know what's happening in Ukraine. I don't understand it either" and "I do know that I don't trust Putin, or our government, or Europe's governments, or the governments of North America either. I certainly don't trust any of them to tell the truth".


Personal life

Oliver lives in
Stirling Stirling (; sco, Stirlin; gd, Sruighlea ) is a city in central Scotland, northeast of Glasgow and north-west of Edinburgh. The market town, surrounded by rich farmland, grew up connecting the royal citadel, the medieval old town with its me ...
with his wife, three children and two Irish Wolfhounds. He is a patron of the Association of
Lighthouse Keepers A lighthouse keeper or lightkeeper is a person responsible for tending and caring for a lighthouse, particularly the light and lens in the days when oil lamps and clockwork mechanisms were used. Lighthouse keepers were sometimes referred to as ...
. In November 2011, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters by the
University of Abertay Dundee , mottoeng = "Blessed is the one who finds wisdom." , established = 1994 – granted University Status 1888 – Dundee Institute of Technology , type = Public , chancellor = Alice Brown , principal = Liz Bacon , head_label = Chair of Co ...
. having previously received an honorary degree from the
University of Glasgow , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...
in 2015.


Works


Television


Books

* ''The Story of the World in 100 Moments'' (2021) * ''Wisdom of the Ancients'' (2020) * ''The Story of the British Isles in 100 Places'' (2018) * ''Master of Shadows'' (2015) * ''Vikings'' (2012) * ''A History of Ancient Britain'' (2011) * ''A History of Scotland'' (2009) * ''Amazing Tales for Making Men Out of Boys'' (2008) * ''Coast from the Air'' (2007) * ''Not Forgotten'' (2006) * ''Castles and Forts'' (with Simon Adams and Tony Pollard) (2006) * ''Two Men in a Trench II: Uncovering the Secrets of British Battlefields'' (with Tony Pollard) (2003) * ''Two Men in a Trench: Battlefield Archaeology – The Key to Unlocking the Past'' (with Tony Pollard) (2002)


References


External links

*
"My schooldays"
at Scotsman.com * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Oliver, Neil 1967 births Living people Alumni of the University of Glasgow People educated at Dumfries Academy People from South Ayrshire Scottish archaeologists Scottish television presenters GB News newsreaders and journalists