THE BEARDY HISTORIAN – Tony McMahon – as seen on TV!
Contact: tonymcmahon@rostraconsulting.org
Join me on YouTube: @tonymcmahon_historybear
Over the last decade I’ve been a presenter and on-screen contributor on several primetime multi-season documentary series. My approach is to make a vast range of topics engaging and inspiring for mass audiences around the world. I’m an investigative historian, journalist, and storyteller comfortable filming on location or in the studio. Topic areas I cover range from true crime to amazing incidents in history and popularising science.
Most recently, I’ve been one of the four Truthseekers (Big Media/RMC) – alongside Dr Karen Bellinger, Dr Fern Riddell, and Professor Mark Altaweel – on Sky History, now in its second season. We’ve investigated the truth behind the Nazca Lines; the secret burial site of Genghis Khan; the myth of the Bermuda Triangle; and how Easter Island became depopulated.
I’ve also been a regular contributor on The UnXplained with William Shatner, the multi-season series on History presented by the veteran actor. On one episode I investigated the identity of Jack the Ripper, the Victorian serial killer, which led me to author a book on the subject published by Troubador: Jack the Ripper and Abraham Lincoln – one man links the two greatest crimes of the nineteenth century. I’ve appeared on other TV shows, blogs and podcasts discussing Jack the Ripper.
An area of modern crime that fascinates me is terrorism and violent extremism. After leaving journalism (I was a BBC news producer and print journalist), I worked for a decade developing strategic communications strategies for government clients tackling the challenge of terrorist radicalisation. These clients included the UK Home Office, US State Department, and European Union governments. During this time of my life, I co-authored a book on Islamism in the United Kingdom with Dame Sara Khan, a prominent female Muslim activist and consultant: The Battle for British Islam (Saqi Books). I would be delighted to comment on documentaries in this sensitive area.
In 2024, I appeared on History’s Greatest Mysteries with Laurence Fishburne to reveal the mysteries of the Knights Templar. With a three book deal on the Templars currently in progress, I’m able to talk about all aspects of this enigmatic order of medieval holy warriors from military tactics to their downfall and of course, the Holy Grail.
2024 has seen me once again as part of the presenting team on Channel 5’s Secrets of the Royal Palaces – broadcast weekly at primetime on Saturdays. This is the third season for me commenting on both royal scandals and history alongside some hugely talented journalists and historians.
With my journalistic ability to take challenging ideas and simplify them for mass audiences, I’ve been asked to appear on several popular science documentaries such as Deadly Science and Oops I Changed the World – streamed on Curiosity.
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