A former BBC News technology presenter and reporter with nearly two decades in broadcast journalism, Waseem now plays the UK Newsreader in The War Between the Land and the Sea, the Doctor Who spin‑off created by Russell T Davies for BBC Studios and Disney, which launched in the UK with a double‑bill in December 2025 and is due to stream on Disney+ internationally later in 2026.

He has also appeared in ITV’s Emmerdale as a Border Officer, and in Pennyworth: The Origin of Batman’s Butler, set in the DC Universe, adding both one of the UK’s longest‑running soaps and a major Hollywood comic‑book franchise to his screen credits.

On the speaker circuit, his own keynotes draw on a rare combination of perspectives: working inside the ‘Whoniverse’ and DC Universe, reporting on real‑world innovation and AI for the BBC, and as a presenting, host and moderator for live technology events. Recent engagements include a keynote on AI and the future of entertainment at Solent Futurescape in Southampton and an Inner Circle Speaker Showcase for The Closer Speakers’ Consultancy, both of which generated strong feedback on LinkedIn for his ability to make complex ideas accessible and exciting.

Comfortable in front of live audiences and cameras, Waseem is also a natural compere and panel moderator and is now available for Comic-Con-style conventions, fan Q&As, and technology expos. He understands fan culture from the inside, having appeared on several fan-produced podcasts for DC’s Batman mythology, the Doctor Who canon known as the Whoniverse, and for a podcast about one of Britain’s longest-running soaps – Emmerdale. He is equally at home guiding deep‑dive conversations about sci-fi canon that he has appeared in, as he is chairing panels on AI, data and the future of work and entertainment. He also speaks to students and younger audiences about careers at the intersection of media, technology and storytelling, showing how a love of sci‑fi and screen drama can translate into real‑world opportunities in journalism, acting and the tech industry.

Keynote Topics

1) From The Whoniverse to Earth: When Sci‑Fi Starts to Look Like Tomorrow

Drawing on his role as the UK Newsreader in The War Between the Land and the Sea and his years as a BBC technology journalist, Waseem explores how science‑fiction stories influence the way we think about real‑world technology and risk. He shows how themes seen in the Whoniverse – climate, data, AI, global crises, and in the DC Universe, surveillance networks – echo debates happening in boardrooms, labs and parliaments, and how organisations can use narrative to communicate change more honestly and effectively.

Ideal for: innovation summits, tech conferences, media and creative industries, and leadership events.

2) AI, Money and Trust: Navigating the New Financial Reality

As host of Connected With Experian, Waseem sits at the intersection of finance, data and emerging technology. In this keynote, he unpacks how AI and automation are reshaping credit, risk and everyday money decisions – and what that means for consumers, brands and regulators. He translates complex concepts into human stories, explains where trust is being won or lost, and offers practical principles for building financial products and communications that people actually understand and feel safe using.

Ideal for: financial services, fintech, consumer brands, internal employee events, and customer conferences.

To book BBC Tech Expert Waseem Mirza for your next Tech conference or event, contact Great British Speakers at [email protected] or call +44 1753 439 289