Rob Bell

Rob Bell (born 1979) is a British TV presenter and STEMnet ambassador. He has appeared on TV programmes on BBC, Channel 5, Travel Channel (now DMAX) and Yesterday.

In 2015, Bell became one of just a few people to complete seven marathons on seven continents in seven days.

Early life Born in Buckinghamshire in 1979, his father's work with General Motors took the family to the United States when Bell was six and on to the outskirts of Paris when he was nine. His mother was a big influence for what was to become a passion for engineering.

Bell achieved a Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering with French at the University of Bath, completing his dissertation at University in Lyon, France. He had previously worked for French radio station Connexion FM and the Energy Saving Trust before he started in television.

Career Bell's first television work was the BBC series Engineering Giants, which he co-hosted with engineer turned comedian Tom Wrigglesworth in 2012. In 2013 he presented the Travel Channel programme Rob Bell's Engineering Enigmas and its series Man Vs World, where he participated in several adventure sports in different locations around the world. This was followed up in 2014 by the BBC programme The Science of D-Day, and another Travel Channel programme Secrets and Mysteries London and the Channel 5 six-part series Underground Britain.

In 2015 Bell presented the BBC history programme Haslar: Secrets of a War Hospital, and then completed seven marathons on seven continents for the Travel Channel series Monster Marathon Challenge.

In 2016 Bell presented the BBC documentary Tank Men to commemorate 100 years since the first use of tanks, and narrated the BBC series Sea Cities. He also presented the Channel 5 series Britain's Greatest Bridges. He also appeared as a contributor to the Yesterday series Abandoned Engineering, which was later adapted to the 2017 US series Mysteries of the Abandoned on the Science Channel.

During 2017 he presented further Channel 5 programmes: Inside the Tube – Going Underground, Great British Royal Ships, and The World's Greatest Bridges. He co-presented The Great Fire (with Dan Jones and Suzannah Lipscomb) and Brunel:The Man who Built Britain. He also presented the BBC show Invented in The South.

In 2018 Bell presented further programmes for Channel 5 with The Flying Scotsman airing in February, World's Tallest Skyscrapers in June and Walking Britain's Lost Railways in September. A second series of Walking Britain's Lost Railways premiered in 2020.

In 2021, Bell presented the Channel 5 series London's Greatest Bridges with Rob Bell.

Filmography

Year Television series Role Notes Ref 2012 Engineering Giants Co-presenter 3 episodes 2013 Rob Bell's Engineering Enigmas Presenter 2014 The Science of D-Day Presenter Documentary Secrets and Mysteries of London Presenter Documentary 2015 Underground Britain Presenter TV series Haslar: Secrets of a War Hospital Presenter Documentary Monster Marathon Challenge Presenter TV series 2016 Tank Men Presenter Documentary Sea Cities Co-presenter TV series Britain's Greatest Bridges Presenter TV series 2017–present Abandoned Engineering Co-presenter TV series 2017 Mysteries of the Abandoned Co-presenter TV series Inside the Tube – Going Underground Presenter TV series The World's Greatest Bridges Presenter TV series The Great Fire: London Burns Co-presenter TV series Brunel:The Man who Built Britain Presenter TV series Invented in... Presenter; episode "The South" TV series 2017–2020 Great British Royal Ships Presenter TV series 2018 Sea Cities Presenter TV series The Flying Scotsman Presenter TV series Numb Skulls Presenter TV series; episode "Atlantic Crossing" World's Tallest Skyscrapers: Beyond the Clouds Presenter TV series 2018 – present Walking Britain's Lost Railways Presenter TV series 2019 Building the Channel Tunnel: 25 Years On Narrator TV series London: 2000 Years of History Presenter TV series The Blitz: Britain On Fire Co-presenter TV series Secret Nazi Bases Co-presenter TV series When Buildings Collapse: World's Worst Engineering Disasters Presenter Documentary 2020 Britain's Lost Battlefields with Rob Bell Presenter TV series On Board Britain's Nuclear Submarine: Trident Presenter Documentary 2021 London's Greatest Bridges with Rob Bell Presenter TV series The Buildings That Fought Hitler Presenter TV series 2021 – present Building the Impossible Presenter TV series 2021 Britain's Top 10 Ships Presenter Documentary The Stonehenge Enigma: What Lies Beneath? Presenter Documentary When Big Things Go Wrong Contributor TV series 2022 Rob Bell's Engineering Reborn Presenter TV series British Planes That Won the War with Rob Bell Presenter TV series 2023 Britannia: Secrets of the Royal Yacht Presenter Documentary 2024Inside Nuclear – Heysham 2PresenterDocumentary

Honours and awards Rob Bell was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Engineering (DEng) by the University of Bath in January 2025. The award recognised Bell's work in promoting the work of those in the engineering fields: 'a true champion for the engineering field and a great communicator for its benefits'.