Neil Oliver
Oliver in 2006
Born (1967-02-21) 21 February 1967
Renfrew, Scotland[1]
CitizenshipBritish
Occupation(s)Television presenter, author, historian
Years active2002 – present
Children3
Websiteneiloliver.com

Neil Oliver (born 21 February 1967) is a Scottish television presenter and author. He has presented several documentary series on archaeology and history, including A History of Scotland, Vikings and Coast. He is also an author of popular history books and historical fiction.

He was the president of the National Trust for Scotland from 2017 to 2020.[2][3]

Oliver currently works for right-wing media outlet GB News.

Early life and education

Oliver was born in Renfrew[4][5] and raised in Ayr and Dumfries, where he attended Dumfries Academy and then the University of Glasgow. He obtained an MA (Hons) in archaeology and then worked as a freelance archaeologist before training as a journalist.[6]

Television career

Oliver first appeared on television in the 2002 BBC Two series Two Men in a Trench, in which he and archaeologist Tony Pollard 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 and Scotland's History: The Top Ten for the BBC. Early in his career he also appeared on The One Show and Time Team.

Oliver was a co-presenter of the first series of Coast in 2005 and replaced Nicholas Crane as the show's main presenter for the second, third, fourth and fifth series. He also presented Coast Australia (2013) and Coast New Zealand (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, a three-part series on the Vikings.

In April 2021 Oliver was announced as a presenter for GB News. He hosts a weekly current affairs and interview programme on the channel.[4]

Journalism

Oliver wrote a weekly column for The Sunday Times from 2016 until 2022.[7]

Politics

In 2014 Oliver stated that he was "proud of Britain" ahead of the Scottish independence referendum, 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".[8] When he was appointed President of the National Trust for Scotland, thousands signed petitions calling on him to resign.[9] In 2020, Oliver reasserted his opposition to Scottish independence, 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."[10]

Commenting on the British government's response to the coronavirus pandemic in 2021, Oliver said, "Lockdown is the biggest single mistake in world history".[11] He also criticised the drive to vaccinate children in the UK against COVID-19,[12] and likened the fight against government anti-COVID measures to the fight against Nazi Germany.[13]

Oliver's opposition to coronavirus restrictions led to his leaving the unionist campaign group These Islands. Tom Holland, an advisory board member of These Islands, said that Oliver's "current focus was not compatible with our own".[14]

During a monologue delivered on his GB News programme on 4 February 2023, Oliver spoke of a "silent war" waged by generations of politicians in order to take "total control of the people" and impose "one-world government". According to The Guardian, the monologue apparently referred to Silent Weapons for Quiet Wars, an alleged conspiracy theory document. The Board of Deputies of British Jews and the All-Party Parliamentary Group against Antisemitism both issued statements calling on GB News to stop indulging antisemitic conspiracy theories.[15][16]

In May 2023 Oliver retweeted an image featuring Bill Gates, writing "Bill Gates: the text book example of the danger posed by rich and powerful people utterly devoid of empathy or care for individual human life". According to The Jewish Chronicle, "The image features Nazi, Satanic, and Illuminati imagery with reference to the New World Order – a conspiracy involving a shadow totalitarian world government – Jeffrey Epstein, Dr Anthony Fauci – former chief medical advisor to President Joe Biden – the United Nations, and big pharma". Broadcaster Matthew Sweet commented that the image appeared "to make mockery of the Holocaust by depicting Bill Gates as a Nazi experimenter with a swastika and IG Farben logo, which is presumably a reference to slave labour in Auschwitz".[17]

In July 2023 Oliver claimed on GB News that the "terrifying" temperatures reported during the heatwave in southern Europe were false and accused the BBC and others of fearmongering over climate change. He alleged that ground temperatures instead of air temperatures were being used. BBC meteorologist Tomasz Schafernaker answered the claims saying this was "absolutely not true".[18]

Personal life

Oliver lives in Stirling with his wife,[3] three children and two Irish Wolfhounds.[19][20] He was formerly (in 2019) listed as a patron of the Association of Lighthouse Keepers.[21]

In July 2015 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters by the University of Glasgow,[22] having previously received the same degree in November 2011 from the University of Abertay Dundee.[23][24]

Works

Television

Year Title Role Notes Refs
2002–2004 Two Men in a Trench Presenter
2005–2010 Coast Lead presenter, series 2–5
2006 The Face of Britain
Time Team Episode: "Big Royal Dig"
2007 The One Show
The History Detectives
2008 A History of Scotland [25] Presenter
2009 Cleopatra: Portrait of a Killer
2011 A History of Ancient Britain [26]
A History of Celtic Britain
The Last Explorers Documentary series
2012 Vikings Writer / Presenter
2013 Sacred Wonders of Britain Presenter
2013–2015 Coast Australia
2015 Britain's Deadliest Rail Disaster: Quintinshill Documentary
The Celts: Blood, Iron and Sacrifice [27]
2016 Coast New Zealand
Scotland and the Clan
Robot Wars [28] Contestant
2017 Britain's Ancient Capital: Secrets of Orkney Presenter
2018 Rise of the Clans [29]

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

  1. ↑ "Neil Oliver on history, housewives and hair". The Herald. 19 September 2011. Archived from the original on 19 October 2011.
  2. ↑ "TV historian takes on conservation role". BBC News. 30 September 2017. Archived from the original on 28 December 2019. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  3. 1 2 Bradley, Jane (6 July 2020). "Neil Oliver to step down from National Trust for Scotland role days after Twitter row". The Scotsman. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  4. 1 2 "Neil Oliver to join GB News: 'It feels like opening a window and letting in some fresh air'". HeraldScotland. 16 April 2021. Archived from the original on 20 April 2021. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
  5. ↑ September 2018, Ayrshire Magazine 11th (11 September 2018). "Neil Oliver".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  6. ↑ "Passed/failed: An education in the life of Neil Oliver, archaeologist". The Independent. 13 November 2008. Archived from the original on 12 April 2019. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  7. ↑ Oliver, Neil (7 December 2023). "Neil Oliver: For auld lang syne, my old columns shall not be forgot". The Times. Archived from the original on 31 July 2022. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  8. ↑ "Neil Oliver on the search for the site of the Battle of Bannockburn". HeraldScotland. 17 May 2014. Archived from the original on 4 July 2021. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  9. ↑ "Video: Hundreds back call to remove "divisive" Unionist TV star as National Trust for Scotland president". HeraldScotland. 2 October 2017. Archived from the original on 5 April 2019. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  10. ↑ "Neil Oliver calls Scottish independence 'a backwards step' that would 'infringe his human rights'". HeraldScotland. 5 December 2020. Archived from the original on 27 January 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  11. ↑ "Neil Oliver: 'Lockdown is the biggest single mistake in world history'". HeraldScotland. 11 June 2021. Archived from the original on 22 June 2021. Retrieved 4 July 2021. I think it's been mishandled from very early on. I think it's the biggest mistake in world history. I'm not suggesting evil or malicious intent. I just think it's a mistake.
  12. ↑ "Covid: Neil Oliver tells GB News viewers giving children vaccine is 'grotesque'". The Herald. 5 July 2021. He claimed: "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."
  13. ↑ "Anger as Scots broadcaster Neil Oliver states he would 'cheerfully risk catching Covid' in name of freedom". HeraldScotland. 2 August 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2021. The Renfrewshire-born 54-year-old who was described as "divisive" by senior SNP members for his well known pro-Union anti-independence said "it was a minority of people, outgunned and shouted down by fellow citizens who felt deals might be struck with tyrants" who stood up against fascism during the Second World War and compared them to the minority of people who refuse to take the jab or comply with Covid rules.
  14. ↑ Nachiappan, Arthi (30 November 2021). "Anti-mask historian Neil Oliver quits pro-UK group". The Times. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  15. ↑ Walker, Peter (8 February 2023). "Jewish group and MPs urge GB News to stop indulging conspiracy theories". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  16. ↑ Bloch, Ben (8 February 2023). "MPs and Board of Deputies slam 'antisemitic conspiracy theories' on GBNews". The Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
  17. ↑ Ben-David, Daniel (14 May 2023). "GB News presenter in hot water after reposting Nazi-linked imagery". The Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  18. ↑ Nicholson, Kate (25 July 2023). "BBC Meteorologist Takes Apart GB News Host's Climate Denial With Facts". www.huffingtonpost.co.uk. Huffpost News. Retrieved 30 July 2023.
  19. ↑ Oliver, Neil (31 May 2023). "Wookiee wolfhounds stop lockdown life being abominable" – via www.thetimes.co.uk.
  20. ↑ A Life in the Day: Neil Oliver – Times Online
  21. ↑ "Association of Lighthouse Keepers - Keeping Lighthouse Heritage Alive". Association of Lighthouse Keepers. Archived from the original on 24 October 2019. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  22. ↑ "University of Glasgow :: Story :: Biography of Neil Oliver". www.universitystory.gla.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 4 July 2021. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  23. ↑ Tel: +44 (0)1382 308000 Ask a question (25 September 2009). "2012 | University of Abertay Dundee". Abertay.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 22 November 2012. Retrieved 17 September 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  24. ↑ "Neil Oliver". Abertay. 2 June 2019. Archived from the original on 4 July 2021. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  25. ↑ "BBC - Press Office - Celebrating Scotland's History". www.bbc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 30 April 2008. Retrieved 6 March 2008.
  26. ↑ "BBC Two - A History of Ancient Britain, Series 1, Age of Ice". Archived from the original on 11 February 2011. Retrieved 9 February 2011.
  27. ↑ "BBC Two - the Celts: Blood, Iron and Sacrifice with Alice Roberts and Neil Oliver". Archived from the original on 8 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  28. ↑ "Robbie Savage, Suzi Perry and the Brownlee brothers join Robot Wars: Battle of the Stars line-up". Radio Times. Archived from the original on 27 February 2018. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  29. ↑ "A new telling of an old favourite". HeraldScotland. 9 December 2018. Archived from the original on 23 February 2019. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
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