Meet The Best Event Hosts For Live Events, Awards & Dinners
11 September 2026
Putting someone behind a microphone is easy. Finding someone who can truly hold a room takes more thought.
A great event host does a lot more than stand on stage with a microphone and a stack of cue cards. They give the event a personality, connect each part of the agenda and know when to keep things moving, and when to let a moment breathe.
We’ve got familiar TV presenters, broadcasters, podcasters, sporting personalities and guest speakers who can comfortably take charge of the room. In this article, we’re sharing some of the best event hosts to consider for award ceremonies, gala dinners, conferences and live events.
What Is The Difference Between An Event Host, MC & Guest Speaker?
Host, MC, presenter, moderator and guest speaker often get bundled together. They can overlap, but they each have a slightly different job to do.
An event host is the thread running through the whole occasion. They welcome guests, introduce each section and make the agenda feel like one joined-up event.
An MC, or master of ceremonies, generally takes care of the mechanics: announcements, introductions, timings and transitions.
A presenter brings a little more of a broadcast vibe, whether they’re leading the entire event or taking charge of a particular section, such as an awards ceremony.
A moderator asks the questions, keeps panels focused and knows how to politely intervene when an answer has been going on for quite some time.
A guest speaker usually owns one part of the programme, delivering a keynote, joining a fireside chat or sharing their expertise with the room.
Plenty of talented people can cover several of these roles.
Why Book A Guest Host For Your Event?
A recognisable guest host can create interest before the doors have even opened. Once the event starts, however, their job becomes far more practical.
They can:
- Give the event a consistent personality
- Make scripted welcomes sound human
- Keep awards and presentations moving at the right pace
- Interview speakers, winners and senior leaders
- React naturally when timings change
- Bring warmth or humour to formal proceedings
- Encourage audience participation
- Communicate brand messages without sounding like they’re reading the company website aloud
The right host doesn’t need to make themselves the centre of attention. They know when to take charge, when to involve the audience and when to hand the moment over to somebody else.
Does Every Event Need A Host?
Not necessarily. A drinks reception followed by one short welcome probably doesn’t require a master of ceremonies waiting in the wings.
Once your running order includes several speakers, award categories, interviews, performances or audience moments, having one person responsible for guiding guests through it all becomes much more valuable.
Events that particularly benefit from a host include:
- Award ceremonies
- Gala dinners and charity balls
- Conferences and summits
- Panel discussions and fireside chats
- Product launches
- Company celebrations
- Sporting dinners and hospitality events
- Fundraisers
- Virtual and hybrid events
Even a straightforward agenda can feel more considered when there’s one person connecting each part. Guests know what’s happening, speakers know when they’re expected on stage and the production team has someone out front who understands the plan.
Please Welcome… The Best Event Hosts
Celebrity Presenters
Dermot O’Leary
Dermot O’Leary has spent years making live television look easy.
Composed and quick on his feet, Dermot can give a major occasion a little finesse with quick wit, conversation and wamth.
Best for: Award ceremonies, gala dinners, company celebrations and high-profile live events.
Greg James
Breakfast radio is useful training for live events. It’s fast-moving, unpredictable, and impossible to pause while everyone gathers their thoughts.
Greg James brings that same quick wit and natural audience connection to the stage. His style suits brands that want their event to feel current and entertaining, rather than too rehearsed.
Best for: Brand events, company celebrations, awards and events with a younger or mixed audience.
Ore Oduba
Some hosts bring energy. Others bring calm. Ore Oduba can do both.
An award-winning broadcaster, he can welcome an audience, interview speakers and handle live transitions without allowing the event to lose momentum. Ore also hosted our first AOK Speaker Showcase, connecting the morning’s keynotes and conversations from start to finish, so it’s safe to say he comes AOK recommended.
Best for: Conferences, speaker showcases, award ceremonies and audience-led events.
Sports Presenters & Personalities
Hailey McQueen
Live sports presenters have to be good at reacting to whatever happens next.
Sky Sports presenter Hailey McQueen brings broadcasting experience and sporting knowledge to the stage, alongside the confidence needed to make winners and guests feel at ease.
AOK Entertains previously booked Hailey to host the NetApp UK&I Partner Awards at The Londoner.
Best for: Sporting dinners, partner awards, gala dinners and formal ceremonies.
Adam Smith
Adam Smith has presented for Sky Sports, talkSPORT, Tottenham Hotspur and England, as well as hosting hospitality and in-stadium events.
He’s comfortable interviewing major sporting names, working with live audiences and carrying on when everything isn’t running precisely to the second. Helpful, because events occasionally do develop plans of their own.
Best for: Sporting events, hospitality, conferences, interviews and panel discussions.
James Haskell
The former England rugby international combines sporting insight with a big personality, plenty of humour, and experience across podcasting, presenting, and live events. He can host, interview other guests or add a speaking or comedy element of his own.
Best for: Sporting dinners, informal awards, team events, and charity fundraisers.
Podcast Hosts
Dr. Alex George
Doctor, broadcaster and Stompcast host Dr. Alex George knows how to make personal and sometimes complicated subjects feel approachable.
He’s suited to events centred on wellbeing, mental health or workplace culture, where the person leading the conversation needs to have qualified expertise and knowledge.
We’ve also booked Dr. Alex for a fireside chat during an awards ceremony for JCDecaux!
Best for: Wellbeing events, fireside chats, internal conferences, interviews and purpose-led awards.
Emily Maitlis
If your panel includes complicated subjects and a limited amount of time, Emily Maitlis is a safe pair of hands.
As a former Newsnight presenter and host of The News Agents, she knows how to ask the question everyone wants answered and follow up when the first response hasn’t quite got there. There’s a reason she’s an acclaimed journalist.
Best for: Leadership conferences, current-affairs events, senior panels, fireside chats and formal ceremonies.
Speakers Who Can Take The Lead
Sometimes the brief calls for more than a presenter. You may want someone who can guide the event, lead a conversation, and contribute some expert thinking of their own.
Hannah Fry
If your agenda contains AI, data or technology and your audience doesn’t entirely consist of mathematicians, Hannah Fry is a great choice.
Being a mathematician, author, and broadcaster has a talent for turning complicated ideas into stories people want to follow. She can bring authority to technical events while keeping the conversation accessible to everyone in the room.
Best for: Technology conferences, science events, panel discussions and audiences with mixed levels of subject knowledge.
Ruby Wax
Few people can move between sharp comedy and serious conversation without either feeling out of place, but Ruby Wax can.
Combining the timing of a comedian with the experience of a television presenter and considerable knowledge of mental health, she’s a good fit for events that want conversation alongside plenty of personality.
Best for: Wellbeing events, leadership conferences, fireside chats, and occasions that can make room for a little unpredictability.
How Do You Choose the Right Event Host?
What are you asking them to do?
Presenting 20 awards is different from guiding a full-day conference or moderating three panels or interviewing a CEO.
Be clear about what happens between the welcome and the goodbye.
Who’s in the room?
Consider the audience’s age, interests, industry and existing knowledge. A presenter who immediately connects with one group might require more introduction for another.
Recognition is useful, but relevance usually matters more.
How should the event feel?
Formal and celebratory? Light-hearted and funny? Warm and conversational?
Some hosts bring ceremony and authority. Others are at their best when given room to improvise. Neither approach is inherently better, but one will make much more sense for your event.
Do they need to know the subject?
A presenter doesn’t always need to understand every detail of the industry. For technical panels, sporting events or sensitive conversations, subject knowledge can make an enormous difference.
What else is happening?
Think about how your host will work alongside senior leaders, guest speakers and entertainment.
A comedian might be exactly right for the awards but less natural leading an earlier company strategy session. Equally, an authoritative moderator may handle the conference brilliantly without being the person you want launching the after-party.
Have you given a proper brief?
Even the most experienced presenter needs a brief.
Share the running order, correct pronunciations, background on speakers and winners, key messages and any subjects that should be handled carefully. A rehearsal is also considerably cheaper than discovering a difficult surname live on stage.
Extra FAQs
How much does it cost to hire a celebrity event host?
Fees depend on the person, event date, location, format and what you need them to do.
Once we understand the brief, we can recommend suitable options within your budget and provide an accurate quote.
How far in advance should you book an event host?
For high-profile hosts, we recommend starting the search around nine to 12 months before the event where possible.
Some presenters can be booked at shorter notice, but more time gives you a better choice of names and allows for briefing, scripting and rehearsals without everything becoming unnecessarily dramatic.
Testing, testing…who’s taking the mic?
If you have a name in mind or just know you need someone who’s able to keep 500 guests interested through 20 award categories, get in touch.
We’ll recommend hosts, MCs, and presenters who fit the brief, check availability and handle everything behind the booking, from contracts and logistics to the final event.
Explore our speakers and hosts for more or send us your brief.
entertains@aokevents.com | 020 8222 8420
