Scientist and broadcaster Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock presents The Sky at Night. Maggie has fronted a number of space documentaries and regularly appears on science and non-science programmes.

From a modest background and diagnosed with dyslexia, Maggie studied at Imperial College where she obtained her degree in Physics and a PhD in Mechanical Engineering. After her studies, she toured the UK speaking to inner-city schools about what scientists do and how to become one.

She has worked in bespoke instrumentation in both industrial and academic environments. These instruments have ranged from hand-held land mine detectors to an optical subsystem for the James Webb Space Telescope (the replacement for the Hubble space telescope). She has worked for the MoD on missile warning systems, and for aerospace giant EADS on a range of projects to monitor the earth’s atmosphere.

Maggie is a research fellow and an Honorary Research Associate at University College London.

James began working at BBC TV on Tomorrow’s World in 1965 and went on to become chief reporter on the Apollo moon missions. He was main presenter of the BBC’s coverage of the first moon landing in 1969.

For more than 40 years he has produced, directed, written and presented award-winning television series on the BBC, PBS, Discovery Channel and The Learning Channel. These include historical series, such as Connections (aired in 1979, it achieved the highest-ever documentary audience); The Day the Universe Changed; Connections2 and Connections3.

A bestselling author, his publications include: Tomorrow’s World, Tomorrow’s World II, Connections, The Day the Universe Changed, Chances, The Axemaker’s Gift (with Robert Ornstein), The Pinball Effect, The Knowledge Web, Circles, and American Connections.

James is a frequent keynote speaker on the subject of technology and social change to audiences such as NASA, MIT, IBM, Microsoft, US government agencies and the World Affairs Council. His latest project is an online interactive knowledge-mapping system (the ‘knowledge web’: www.k-web.org) to be used as a teaching aid, a management tool and a predictor. His next book, The Culture of Scarcity, will be published in 2020.

Jon Culshaw is warmly regarded by many as Britain’s best impressionist with an unmatched versatility and a catalogue of over 350 voices and impersonations.

A lifelong astronomy enthusiast, John is a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and a judge for, and host of, the Astronomy Photographer of the Year awards with the Royal Observatory Greenwich.

He was also part of the team on the world’s longest-running programme, The Sky at Night, first appearing with Sir Patrick Moore on the show’s 50th anniversary. As a self-confessed fan of Doctor Who, Jon is responsible for voicing many of the audiobooks, with frighteningly accurate impressions of Tom Baker and Jon Pertwee.

Jon first made international headlines in 1998 by calling the switchboard of 10 Downing Street and fooling the operators with his impression of William Hague. He was put directly through to Prime Minister Tony Blair!

In addition to many public appearances, Jon is also a regular guest on current affairs programmes, providing comic relief with impromptu impersonations of politicians and commentators. He can regularly be heard on radio shows including The Now Show and Secret World.

Yih-Choung Teh is Group Director, Strategy and Research at Ofcom. The Group’s role is to ensure that Ofcom has a deep understanding of consumers’ use of communications services through research and analysis of industry trends, and to develop insight which informs Ofcom’s overarching strategy.

He has previously been a Director in Ofcom’s Competition Group, working on issues including Ofcom’s strategy to encourage investment in telecoms infrastructure, and overseeing Ofcom’s broadcasting and media competition programme.

Before joining Ofcom, Yih-Choung worked for a strategy consultancy in the telecoms sector, providing policy and strategy advice to public and private sector clients globally. Prior to that he held an academic research post in the University of Oxford.

Claudia is a marketing executive with over 20 years of international experience in media, broadcasting and communication. She has worked in the US, Italy and France and is currently Senior Strategy Advisor at the European Broadcasting Union, the world’s largest association of public broadcasters.

Previously she was Director of Global Market Research and Customer Experience for the leading satellite operator Eutelsat SA, in Paris, where she has re-engineered the satellite fleet’s audience measurement through the TV Observatory (a panel of 61,000 annual interviews with consumers in 52 countries). She has also built customer experience and satisfaction programmes, conducted the first consumer research studies in Europe on Ultra HD, and has presented her research at global industry events.

Prior to that, after starting her career in the US in advertising, Claudia led the worldwide launch of the TV Files service and brand. From 2014 to 2016 she was a member of the International Executive Board of IABC (International Association of Business Communicators). A member of the Professional Women Network, Claudia is actively advocating for stronger diversity and female leadership in media.

Fully trilingual (Italian, French, English), Claudia has also extensively researched the benefits of multilingualism, both in the professional and personal sphere. She lives in Geneva, Switzerland with her Flemish husband and two quadrilingual children.