Who is Dara O’Briain, when’s his 2018 tour and when was the Mock The Week star’s book Beyond The Sky released?
HE'S a big man, with an even bigger personality and sense of humour.
Dara O'Briain is an Irish comedian who's become a household name thanks to his regular TV appearances and stand up tours – but what else do we know about him?
Who is Dara O’Briain?
Dara O’Briain is an Irish comedian and TV presenter who is most known for hosting shows such as Mock the Week.
He was born in 1972 in County Wicklow in Ireland, and later studied maths and theoretical physics at UCD (University College Dublin).
While he studied, he co-founded the university newspaper, The University Observer.
He was also an auditor for the university’s oldest debating society, the Literary and Historical Society.
An avid debater himself, the towering funnyman won the 1994 Irish Times National Debating Championship.
How did Dara O’Briain become famous?
After his studies, Dara started working as a children’s TV presenter for Irish broadcaster RTE and also did stand-up gigs on the Irish comedy circuit.
He spent three years presenting kids’ show Echo Island, and later worked as a team captain on panel show Don’t Feed the Gondolas in 1998.
He then went on to host game show It’s A Family Affair before touring his stand-up comedy show around the world.
When he appeared at the Edinburgh Fringe festival in 2005, his eighth consecutive appearance there, it was the biggest selling event of the festival.
What TV shows has Dara O’Briain hosted or appeared in?
He’s been a regular host for shows such as The Panel, The Apprentice: You're Fired!, and Mock the Week.
He joined Apprentice spin-off show in 2010, and hosted the programme for five years, before quitting in 2014.
Dara's also performed in and hosted Live at the Apollo.
In the 2016 reboot of Robot Wars, he was named as the presenter along with Angela Scanlon.
The show returned for some Christmas specials and a second series on March 5, with Dara once again at the helm.
Dara is also a frequent panellist on QI, and has made 14 appearances to date.
In 2017 he presented Stargazing Live Australia alongside Professor Brian Cox.
what's on tv?
What is Dara O’Briain’s book Beyond The Sky about and when was it released?
Dara O’Briain released a book in September 2017 called Beyond the Sky: You and the Universe.
Aimed at people who are interested in the idea of going to space, the comedian writes about space travel and takes readers on a journey to the furthest reaches of space.
It was published by Scholastic and is currently available for the reduced price of £6.48 on
When is Dara O'Briain's 2018 tour?
The comic has been on a major new stand-up tour for 2018.
Dara returns to the stage with a show called Voice of Reason, which began in February.
He will travel the UK until December 2018, with plenty of dates scheduled and more added due to demand.
To find out where your nearest show is, head to
What do we know about Dara O’Briain’s personal life?
Dara is married to a surgeon called Sharon, with the couple tying the knot back in 2006.
They have two children together and live in West London.
His best man at his wedding was close friend and fellow Mock The Week star Ed Bryne.
