Ella is a National Geographic Explorer, palaeoanthropologist, evolutionary biologist...and stand-up comic. Her debut book The Handshake is a Times and Sunday Times Book of the Year. She specializes in Neanderthals, caves, and expeditions in hostile, disputed, and unstable territories. She almost exclusively works in places it is hard to get insurance, such as Iraq, Yemen, Nagorno-Karabakh, and places she can’t publicly admit to. From heading up exploratory expeditions to joining cave excavations, the conditions can be unusual—from avoiding landmines to wearing a burqa for security reasons.
Ella believes that this is a risk worth taking because huge parts of the planet’s scientific potential are being ignored due to instability. She argues that realistically, these places will become the frontline of science and exploration. She also believes that development is not just about aid—it is also about science and empowering locals. As a stand-up, Ella uses comedy as a coping strategy, but also as a tool to communicate science. She passionately believes that knowledge and science can empower locals and help with sustainable development.
Recently, the BBC launched a 7-year diary called Our Changing Planet. Ella joins presenters Liz Bonnin, Chris Packham, Steve Backshall, Gordon Buchanan, and Ade Adepitan, to closely document six key habitats around the world. Ella will personally be investigating the planet’s threatened ecosystems, starting with Cambodia—locations deemed bellwethers for the health of the planet. In 2018 Ella was the presenter and associate producer for BBC Two's science series, Neanderthals: Meet Your Ancestors, as well as Horizon: Body Clock – What Makes Your Body Tick. She then went on to present a National Geographic show on Viking Warrior Women where, during filming, she discovered what might be the first evidence of a battle injury on a female Viking warrior—a finding that made international headlines. She also presented on programs such as Jungle Mystery: Lost Kingdoms of the Amazon (Channel 4) and Waterhole: Africa’s Animal Oasis (BBC2), and hosted a BBC World Service radio series with her brother, journalist Abubakr Al-Shamahi, reflecting on the 10-year anniversary of the Arab Spring.
Ella has been featured twice in National Geographic magazine and was a co-guest editor for the first UK edition of the magazine. She has been extensively featured in publications like The Times, The Telegraph, and The Sun, and has contributed to programs such as BBC Radio 4’s Midweek and BBC World Service’s Outlook. She holds a BSc in Genetics from University College London, an MSc in Taxonomy and Biodiversity from Imperial College London/Natural History Museum, and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Neanderthal rates of evolution at University College London. Her book The Handshake: A Gripping History (Profile Books, 2021) explores the history and anthropology of the handshake.
Ella also performs nerdy stand-up internationally and has taken four stand-up shows to the Edinburgh Fringe. She was a 2019 TED main stage speaker and her talk has been viewed more than 2 million times.
In February 2026, MPSF audiences will join Ella on a one-of-a-kind journey through ancient caves, war zones, and the unexpected intersections of science and stand-up.