Lucy Cooke
Television presenter, documentary maker, speaker and best-selling author.
Film work
Lucy has presented numerous television programmes – Talk to the Animals, Nature’s Boldest Thieves, Animals Unexpected, Nature’s Miracle Orphans and Ingenious Animals (BBC One), Beach Live (BBC Four), Amazing Animal Births (ITV), Easter Eggs Live (Channel 4), Inside the Bat Cave, Springwatch and Curious Creatures (BBC Two).
The iconic American television news programme 60 minutes (CBS) recently profiled Lucy’s work as a best-selling author, public speaker and zoologist. They also including an excerpt from her new film, Life in Slow Motion, in their 2023 series trailer.
She began her presenting career hosting Freaks and Creeps (National Geographic WILD), highlighting the weird and wonderful lives of species that often get over-looked.
Speaking
An award-winning science communicator, Lucy has a reputation for mixing cutting-edge science, in-depth investigation, and expert storytelling (with a dash of humour) to reveal surprising truths about the natural world.
An expert in the peculiar biology of the sloth, Lucy gave a popular talk at the prestigious TED Women, but she can also educate and inspire on subjects such as ‘a revolutionary guide to being female’ and ‘Queer Kingdom: exploding myths about sex and gender’.
Speaker testimonials
Lucy’s talk was a great mixture of science and humour, and kept our audience engaged through out. We’re very pleased she agreed to come and do the talk.’ Lisa Derry, Royal Institution
“Lucy gave one of the most memorable talks at TED Women. She is a rare combination of smart, savvy, and good humoured, and can present scientific knowledge in a way that engages, informs, and even entertains.” Pat Mitchell, TED Women
Radio
In Political Animals (Radio 4) Lucy meets the female animals – and pioneering scientists – moving evolutionary biology beyond the male-centric Darwinian narrative. She is a regular panel member on Nature Table with Sue Perkins, The Infinite Monkey Cage, The Museum of Curiosity, Women’s Hour, Midweek (Radio 4), Cerys Matthews (Radio 6) and in the US, Weekend Edition and A1 (NPR).
Books
Lucy is a New York Times best-selling author whose books have won awards and been translated into over 20 languages. Lucy’s first long-form book was short-listed for the prestigious Royal Society science prize. Her most recent Bitch was published in the UK and US to widespread critical acclaim and chosen as one of the 50 best books of 2022 by the Telegraph, and the Guardian.
“Bitch is a joyous debunking of gender stereotypes in nature.” The Guardian
Producer / Director
Lucy has travelled to the furthest corners of the planet to film remote people and places for channels including PBS, the BBC, Channel 4 and Discovery. Her work as a writer/producer on Meet the Sloths, won a prestigious Panda Award at Wildscreen Film Festival and spawned a major 13-part series for Animal Planet, which has sold to over 20 countries worldwide.
“Lucy invites us all to think about the natural world in new and surprising ways.” Charlotte Moore Director, BBC Content
Projects
Lucy founded the Sloth Appreciation Society to promote awareness and raise money for conservation. Two best-selling books of her much-loved sloth photographs - A Little Book of Sloth and Life in the Sloth Lane – and an annual sloth calendar (now in its tenth year) help fund a reforestation project in Costa Rica.
Background
Lucy has a Master’s in zoology from the University of Oxford, where she was tutored by Richard Dawkins.
