Available to book
Frank Gardner
National Security
Geopolitics
Middle East
Level up security understanding with Frank Gardner, BBC security correspondent and terrorism expert. Frank equips organisations to navigate geopolitical threats and build resilience through firsthand conflict zone insights. OBE recipient for journalism, bestselling author, and survivor who returned to frontline reporting after surviving an Al Qaeda attack.
International Day of Disability
Journalist
Thought Leader
Broadcaster
Author
BBC
Political Analyst
Frank Gardner OBE is the BBC's security correspondent and one of Britain's leading voices on international security, terrorism, and Middle Eastern affairs. A former investment banker turned frontline journalist, he combines deep regional knowledge with first-hand experience of global conflict. Frank joined the BBC in 1995, becoming Middle East Correspondent in Cairo before taking on his current role as security correspondent. He has reported from Afghanistan, Iraq, and Guantanamo Bay and covered global conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza. In 2004, he survived a near-fatal Al Qaeda attack in Saudi Arabia that left him permanently paralysed from the waist down. He returned to frontline reporting the following year. Drawing on his harrowing experience in Saudi Arabia, Frank recounted his story in the bestselling memoir Blood and Sand. He went on to write his first spy thriller, Crisis, which became a Sunday Times No. 1 bestseller, while Far Horizons also earned acclaim for its vivid travel stories. Frank contributes regularly to the Economist, Sunday Times, and Daily Telegraph, and has been awarded an OBE for services to journalism. A natural storyteller and engaging host, Frank brings wit, charm, and insight to interviews, panel discussions, and live events, and has been recognised with the University of Southern California’s Tommy Trojan Trophy for distinguished speaking. He shares first-hand experiences from the frontlines of global conflict, combining personal anecdotes with a deep understanding of the Middle East, international security, and the art of survival. Book Frank for unique perspective, compelling storytelling, and a front-row perspective on international security, terrorism, and the Middle East.
Book Frank Gardner to gain rare insights from a leading BBC Security Correspondent who blends gripping frontline stories with deep expertise in global security and the Middle East. Secure your event’s success by inviting a speaker whose wit, humanity, and real-world experience will captivate and inform your audience.
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frequently asked questions
Something we've not covered here?
Email frank.gardner@getapeptalk.com or call PepTalk on +44 20 3835 2929 (UK) or +1 737 888 5112 (US), and one of our speaker agents will contact you within hours to confirm Frank's availability and fees. If you can, please include your budget upfront – it helps us fast-track your request. It’s also helpful to know the date, format (virtual or in-person), location, and a bit about your audience.
No. PepTalk adds no booking fee, so you pay the speaker's fee and nothing beyond it. The service, from shortlist through to contracts and event-day logistics, is included. For repeat or multi-event bookings, PepTalk can agree preferential rates with your procurement team.
Share your event date, audience, format, objectives and budget, and PepTalk sends a hand-picked shortlist within 24 hours. Each suggestion comes with a profile, a fee and a recommendation on the strongest fit. Once you choose, PepTalk handles contracts, travel and logistics through to event day.
The typical fee range is the speaker's standard in-person fee in their home market, shown in their local currency. It moves with format, location, date and session length: virtual sessions and shorter slots usually cost less, while international travel and peak dates cost more. Send your brief to PepTalk and the team will confirm the exact fee in your currency.
Not all of them, and it makes no difference to your booking. PepTalk's network of 15,000+ speakers covers talent the team works with directly alongside speakers represented by agents and agencies worldwide. PepTalk approaches the speaker, negotiates the fee and handles contracting either way.
Three to six months ahead is comfortable for most events, and 12 months is better for large conferences, peak-season dates or one specific in-demand speaker. Shorter timelines are workable, and PepTalk regularly fills last-minute and replacement bookings within days. Availability is the constraint, so get in touch as soon as you have a date.
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