Benedict has been described by the Radio Times as ‘Britain’s most fearless man’, and by former Director-General of the BBC, Mark Thompson, as ‘part of the history of television’. World-renowned explorer Benedict Allen is known for his hair-raising remote expeditions, conducted without GPS, or the help of any other technology; instead, relying solely on the help of indigenous people.
He is the only person in history to have traversed the 4500km Amazon Basin – during which he was shot at by Pablo Escobar, and later robbed and left to die by illegal loggers.
In the Media
Benedict attracted global media attention when he encountered a string of devastating obstacles following an expedition into the heart of Papua New Guinea to meet a group of old indigenous friends. Having tackled the notorious Central Range, Benedict found himself trapped in a forest where local communities were at war. Already suffering from both malaria and dengue fever, he then faced a series of freak storms. A multi-national search-and-rescue mission was launched, with Benedict eventually extracted by helicopter. This adventure forms the basis of Benedict’s book, Explorer: The Quest for Adventure and the Great Unknown.
Benedict is one of only two people to have been cited in the Daily Telegraph’s list of Great British Explorers, the other being Sir Ranulph Fiennes
Speaker
With a host of near-unbelievable tales from his solo adventures across the globe, and said to have ‘almost died nine times’, Benedict is a unique and highly engaging speaker. Key themes from his talks include building resilience, staying committed and the importance of being able to adapt to the ever-changing circumstances of a busy modern world.
Having learnt to cope with extreme adversity in the wilderness, Benedict has now spent years travelling the world as a keynote speaker, team builder and motivator. Appearances have ranged from corporate conferences and business team building events, to after-dinner entertainment. Clients have included some of the world’s biggest corporations, including Google, GlaxoSmithKline, Santander and NatWest.
Through his talks, Benedict skilfully threads the messages that the extraordinary challenges of the natural jungle aren’t so different to the challenges we all face day to day in the ‘global jungle’ we inhabit.
Live Events
In October 2024, Benedict premiered his film Missing in Papua New Guinea. The film tells the unfiltered truth of his solo expedition to Papua New Guinea, where he revisited a community he befriended thirty years earlier. However, due to unpresented circumstances, Benedict failed to meet his flight home.
Film Work
Benedict pioneered the use of the ‘video selfie’, famously using just a handheld camera to record six ground-breaking adventure series for the BBC. More recently, Benedict returned to Papua New Guinea with BBC Security Correspondent Frank Gardner, to film Birds of Paradise: The Ultimate Quest (BBC Two). Other major series include eight-part reality epic, Expedition Africa (History Channel), as well as Unbreakable (Channel Five), Travellers’ Century (BBC Two and Four), and Ice Dogs (National Geographic).
Explorer and Pioneer
With unrivalled experience of immersion in remote communities, and known for having solo-explored some of the planet’s most remote landscapes, Benedict has voluntarily endured excruciating experiences all in the name of discovery. Benedict is also the only known person in history to have traversed the 4500km Amazon Basin. During this journey, he was both shot at by Pablo Escobar, and robbed and left to die by illegal loggers.
Author
Benedict is also the author of eleven books, including multiple best sellers.
