Discovery Legends: The Stars Who Inspire, Explore, and Entertain

For decades, the Discovery Channel has been the home of Britain’s boldest storytellers – the faces who blend knowledge, charisma, and daring into standout television that never fails to inspire. From historians and petrolheads to adventurers and collectors, these are the personalities who bring curiosity to life. Whether they’re digging into history, chasing adventure, or hunting down classic machines, they turn everyday subjects into captivating entertainment for millions of viewers.

Among them stands an extraordinary lineup of British icons. Sir Tony Robinson has made history more vivid and human than ever, while explorers such as Levison Wood, Ed Stafford and Bear Grylls consistently test the limits of human endurance. Sarah Cruddas is leading the charge into space, Ellie Harrison’s love of all things outdoors is captivating, and you ‘wooden’ believe what Ella Fielding can do with a chainsaw! The pure petrolheads – Richard Hammond, Mike Brewer, Marc Priestley, Henry Cole, and AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson – are a high-octane crew who celebrate every rev, roar, and restoration, and on the frontline of heritage collecting, Bruce Crompton takes viewers deep into the world of military history with the eagle-eye of a collector and the beating heart of an entertainer.

What unites them all is the way they tell their stories – with curiosity, humour, and an unmistakable British charm. Here are just some of our stars who go the extra mile to explore and entertain.

Born in August 1964 in south London, Mike Brewer is a British car dealer turned television presenter, best known for leading Discovery Channel’s Wheeler Dealers. Having grown up surrounded by motors thanks to his car-customising dad Roger – who once owned a Ford Popular called Mr Popstar – Mike turned his passion for motoring into a successful TV career.

The driving force behind the Wheeler Dealers franchise which includes Wheeler Dealers World Tour and Wheeler Dealers: Dream Car, Mike has guided restorations alongside star mechanics including Edd China, Ant Anstead, and former F1 mechanic Marc ‘Elvis’ Priestley. Across almost three hundred episodes, the series has taken viewers from British workshops to American garages, inspiring car fans worldwide by showcasing classics, supercars, and everyday gems. Mike’s sharp eye for a deal and enthusiastic presenting style helped turn the format into one of Discovery’s flagship motoring shows. His expertise, enthusiasm, and humour has made car culture accessible to millions.

As well as Wheeler Dealers, you can watch Mike Brewer: Born Dealer where Mike and his wife battle to run a new car dealership and restore their manor house, and Mike Brewer’s World of Cars where he travels the world feeding a passion for all things automotive, all on discovery+!

Science is in Sarah’s blood! She was born in Wales, grew up in Yorkshire and after A-levels in Maths, Further Maths, Physics and Chemistry, she won the prestigious Young Scientist Award and got a place at NASA’s International Space Camp. After a degree in Physics with Astrophysics, Sarah has based herself in Los Angeles where she’s a space journalist, television presenter, and award-winning author.

Beginning her career as a weather presenter and science correspondent for the BBC, she quickly established herself as a leading voice in space journalism. Sarah has reported extensively on major space missions, including NASA’s Space Shuttle and Mars rover landings for major broadcasters such as Sky, BBC and ITV. Since 2019, Sarah has been a prominent host and investigator on Discovery Channel’s Contact where she and her co-presenters aim to answer perhaps the most profound question in history – have aliens made contact with Earth?

Former British Army captain Edward James Stafford is an acclaimed British explorer, best known as the first person to walk the length of the Amazon River – a world-record 860-day trek that tested his endurance in some of the planet’s harshest conditions. His story became a hit Discovery Channel documentary, gaining global recognition.

Since then, Ed has fronted a string of survival shows, including Naked and Marooned, Left For Dead, and First Man Out, putting his survival skills to the ultimate test in extreme environments, including Panama’s Darien Gap, the searing heat and brutal altitude of Bolivia’s Atacama Desert, the Annamite Mountains deep in the Laos jungle, and southern Bulgaria’s mighty Rhodope Mountains. In Man Woman Child Wild, Ed, his wife Laura Bingham – herself a world-renowned explorer, conservationist and wildlife presenter, best known for leading the world’s first descent of the Essequibo River in Guyana – and their young son, live off-grid in Indonesia.

Honoured with adventuring awards and author of several books, Ed uses his platforms to inspire adventure, resilience, and a deeper connection with nature.

Born in December 1969 in Solihull, Richard Hammond is a British broadcaster and journalist celebrated for his wit, technical know-how, and love of cars. After making his name as co-host of Top Gear and The Grand Tour with fellow petrolheads Clarkson and May, Hammond brought his trademark energy to Discovery, starring in shows which blend science, adventure, and automotive passion.

In Richard Hammond’s Big!, he explores the engineering challenges behind the world’s largest machines and structures, breaking down the science that powers the extraordinary. Among his other popular shows, Richard Hammond’s Workshop, takes viewers inside his Herefordshire-based car restoration business, sharing the ups and downs of turning his lifelong passion into reality. Hammond also fronts programmes like Brainiac: Science Abuse, combining entertainment and experimentation.

Ella Fielding is a British sculptor, chainsaw carver, and woodworker based in Surrey and London, celebrated for her dynamic public installations and TV presence. She has a degree in Fine Art Sculpture from Camberwell College and a Masters in Fine Art from the University of the Creative Arts.

She’s perhaps best known as one of the master-crafters on The Woodland Workshop on discovery+ where Ella and other woodworking experts build extraordinary handmade models for people who do amazing things for their community.

Born in East London in August 1946, Sir Tony Robinson began his career aged thirteen in the West End in Oliver! After drama school he earned eternal fame in the 1980s as Baldrick in the BBC’s Blackadder, one of British TV’s best-loved and most iconic characters.

His passion for history and archaeology led him to become a celebrated factual presenter, notably fronting Time Team for twenty seasons, making archaeology accessible and entertaining. His other acclaimed history shows include Britain’s Ancient Tracks, The Worst Jobs in History, and Tony Robinson’s Wild West, many aired or distributed by Discovery. Two of his most poignant highlights are Tony Robinson’s World War I, which tells the extraordinary story of the Great War, and Tony Robinson’s VE Day: Minute by Minute, chronicling the events of VE Day.

Knighted in 2013, Sir Tony is also a prolific author and advocate. His engaging style and genuine curiosity have inspired generations, making history and archaeology vibrant and accessible to millions worldwide.

Born Edward Michael Grylls in Donaghadee, Northern Ireland in June 1974, Bear (a nickname given to him by his sister Lara when he was just a week old) is a British adventurer, former SAS trooper, and survival expert renowned for his fearless outdoor exploits. Overcoming a severe parachuting accident in Zambia during his military career, he went on to become one of the youngest climbers of Mount Everest at the age of just twenty-three. Bear gained global fame as the host of Discovery Channel’s Man vs. Wild, where he demonstrated survival skills across some of the planet’s harshest environments.

Beyond Man vs. Wild, Bear has fronted numerous hit shows including Running Wild with Bear Grylls, where he takes celebrities on wilderness adventures, and The Island with Bear Grylls, a gritty survival reality series. On discovery+, you can catch the man himself on Bear vs. Shark, where he takes on a whole new set of challenges against the ocean’s deadliest predators, and Bear Grylls: Escape from Hell as he shares some truly astonishing stories of people in extraordinary life-or-death situations.

Born in November 1977, Ellie is an ecologist, journalist, and television presenter known for her passionate storytelling about the natural world. Raised on a small farm in the Cotswolds, Ellie developed a lifelong love of wildlife and conservation. She graduated from King’s College London with a degree in Ecology and Geography.

Ellie is best known for co-presenting BBC’s Countryfile from 2009 to 2023, where she brought rural, agricultural and environmental issues to a wide audience. She has presented shows on the Discovery Channel including Daily Planet, a long-running science show which aired from 1995 until 2018 and Outrageous Acts of Science, in which Ellie was the resident wildlife expert between 2012 and 2016.

Major Levison James Wood was born in Staffordshire in 1982 and is a British explorer, bestselling author, and photographer, renowned for his epic long-distance journeys and storytelling. After serving as an officer in the Parachute Regiment, he began a career in journalism and adventure, eventually gaining international acclaim for walking the length of the Nile – a year-long feat captured in a major TV documentary and best-selling book.

Levison’s other groundbreaking expeditions include traversing the Himalayas, crossing Central America, and circumnavigating the Arabian Peninsula, as well as in numerous books and articles. A Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and several scholarly societies, Wood’s passion for travel and culture has inspired audiences worldwide.

Born in February 1964, Henry Cole is an English TV presenter, producer, and director known for his passion for motorcycles, restoration, and adventure. He began his media career as a news cameraman before moving into directing music documentaries and TV commercials, later founding his own production company.

Cole is best known for presenting shows such as World’s Greatest Motorcycle Rides, The Motorbike Show, Shed and Buried, Shed & Buried: Classic Cars, and Find It, Fix It, Flog It, many of which showcase his love of vintage motorbikes and engineering. His engaging style and hands-on approach have made him a favourite among motorcycle enthusiasts and restoration fans alike. Outside of TV, Henry is also founder and CEO of Gladstone Motorcycles, a bespoke motorcycle manufacturer named after his great uncle, Dick ‘Red Beard’ Gladstone.

Bruce Crompton is a self-taught military historian, collector, and entrepreneur from East London, best known as the star of Discovery Channel’s Combat Dealers. Growing up fascinated by militaria from a young age, he began amassing a vast collection of World War II artefacts, including helmets, gas masks, and military vehicles. His deep knowledge and passion for preserving history have made him a respected figure in the field.

Crompton has featured in numerous TV series where he shares the stories and significance behind rare military collectibles. Beyond television, he serves as a patron of military museums and supports efforts to preserve historical artefacts for future generations.