David Olusoga

Acting

David Olusoga

Born January 1, 1970 · Lagos, Nigeria (age 56)

David Adetayo Olusoga OBE is a British historian, writer, broadcaster, presenter and film-maker. He is Professor of Public History at the University of Manchester. He has presented historical documentaries on the BBC and contributed to The One Show and The Guardian.

Known For

Secrets of the Bayeux Tapestry: Inside the MuseumSecrets of the Bayeux Tapestry: Inside the Museum · 2026
Secrets of the Bayeux Tapestry: Inside the Museum
★ 7.52026
MovieDocumentaryHistory
The Bayeux Tapestry is one of the treasures of the medieval world. Across 70 metres of exquisitely embroidered scenes, it tells the story of one of the most seismic events in British history – the Norman Invasion of 1066. For the last 950 years, this crucial part of Britain's national story has remained on the other side of the English Channel, in Bayeux, Normandy, but now it’s coming back to the UK. A stellar cast of historians and experts follow the painstaking efforts to bring this priceless work of art back to the UK, where experts believe it was made, for a once-in-a-millennium exhibition at the British Museum.
The Unwanted: The Secret Windrush FilesThe Unwanted: The Secret Windrush Files · 2019
The Unwanted: The Secret Windrush Files
★ 10.02019
MovieDocumentary
David Olusoga opens secret government files to show how the Windrush scandal and the ‘hostile environment’ for black British immigrants has been 70 years in the making.
Statue Wars: One Summer in BristolStatue Wars: One Summer in Bristol · 2021
Statue Wars: One Summer in Bristol
2021
MovieDocumentary
Documentary following Bristol’s mayor, Marvin Rees, as he and the city respond to the extraordinary events which followed the toppling of the Colston Statue in the summer of 2020.
Fighting for King and Empire: Britain's Caribbean HeroesFighting for King and Empire: Britain's Caribbean Heroes · 2015
Fighting for King and Empire: Britain's Caribbean Heroes
2015
MovieDocumentaryHistory
During the Second World War, thousands of men and women from the Caribbean colonies volunteered to come to Britain to join the fight against Hitler. They risked their lives for king and empire, but their contribution has largely been forgotten. Some of the last surviving Caribbean veterans tell their extraordinary wartime stories - from torpedo attacks by German U-boats and the RAF's blanket-bombing of Germany to the culture shock of Britain's freezing winters and war-torn landscapes. This brave sacrifice confronted the pioneers from the Caribbean with a lifelong challenge - to be treated as equals by the British government and the British people. With vivid first-hand testimony, observational documentary and rare archive footage, the programme gives a unique perspective on the Second World War and the history of 20th-century Britain.
A Thousand BlowsA Thousand Blows · 2025
A Thousand Blows
★ 6.72025
SeriesDrama
Hezekiah and Alec, two friends from Jamaica, finds themselves thrust into the criminal underbelly of London's East End. Here they meet Mary Carr, Queen of an all-female criminal gang known as the Forty Elephants, and run afoul of Sugar Goodson, criminal kingpin and notorious boxer.
Remembers…Remembers… · 2022
Remembers…
★ 7.02022
SeriesDocumentaryTalk
What are the secrets of our favourite TV shows? Famous names from both sides of the camera reflect on making some of the most popular and influential programs of all time.
CivilisationsCivilisations · 2018
Civilisations
★ 6.62018
SeriesDocumentary
The story of art from the dawn of human history to the present day—for the first time on a global scale. Inspired by Civilisation, Kenneth Clark’s acclaimed landmark 1969 series about Western art, this series broadens the canvas to reveal the role art and the creative imagination have played across multiple cultures and civilizations.
Finding Britain’s Slave Traders with David OlusogaFinding Britain’s Slave Traders with David Olusoga · 2026
Finding Britain’s Slave Traders with David Olusoga
★ 1.02026
SeriesDocumentary
With exclusive access to new research, David Olusoga reveals the most comprehensive picture yet of the British slave traders who trafficked three million Africans into slavery.

Filmography

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Fighting for King and Empire: Britain's Caribbean HeroesFighting for King and Empire: Britain's Caribbean Heroes · 2015
Fighting for King and Empire: Britain's Caribbean Heroes
2015
MovieDocumentaryHistory
During the Second World War, thousands of men and women from the Caribbean colonies volunteered to come to Britain to join the fight against Hitler. They risked their lives for king and empire, but their contribution has largely been forgotten. Some of the last surviving Caribbean veterans tell their extraordinary wartime stories - from torpedo attacks by German U-boats and the RAF's blanket-bombing of Germany to the culture shock of Britain's freezing winters and war-torn landscapes. This brave sacrifice confronted the pioneers from the Caribbean with a lifelong challenge - to be treated as equals by the British government and the British people. With vivid first-hand testimony, observational documentary and rare archive footage, the programme gives a unique perspective on the Second World War and the history of 20th-century Britain.

Narrator