Dan Schreiber is an Australian writer, presenter, producer, comedian and podcaster who has built a distinctive career around facts, comedy and unusual ideas. He is best known as one of the co-hosts and creators of the popular podcast No Such Thing As A Fish, which grew from the research team behind the BBC comedy panel show QI. Over the years, his work has expanded from television research and production into radio, podcasting, books and documentary presenting. His career reflects a consistent interest in discovering strange, surprising and entertaining information and sharing it with a broad audience.
Quick Bio of Dan Schreiber
| Personal Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Dan Schreiber |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Profession | Writer, presenter, producer, comedian and podcaster |
| Best Known For | No Such Thing As A Fish |
| Associated With | QI and the QI Elves |
| Major Podcast | No Such Thing As A Fish |
| Other Podcast | We Can Be Weirdos |
| Notable Book | The Theory of Everything Else |
| Children’s Book | Impossible Things |
| Television Work | No Such Thing As The News, The Great UFO Conspiracy |
| Known For | Facts, comedy, unusual subjects and curiosity |
Early Career and Connection With QI
Dan Schreiber became closely associated with the world of QI, the British comedy panel show built around interesting facts and unusual questions. The QI organisation describes its researchers, writers and comedians as the “QI Elves,” a team responsible for uncovering fascinating information for the programme and its wider projects. Schreiber became an important part of this creative environment.
Working with QI gave Schreiber an opportunity to develop skills in research, writing and entertainment. Rather than treating factual information as something that had to be presented in a traditional educational format, the QI approach combined knowledge with humour and surprise. That combination became particularly important to Schreiber’s later career.
His experience as a researcher also provided the foundation for one of his most successful projects. The facts collected during research could sometimes be too unusual, funny or interesting to disappear after a television episode. This helped inspire the idea behind No Such Thing As A Fish.
No Such Thing As A Fish
In March 2014, Dan Schreiber joined James Harkin, Anna Ptaszynski and Andrew Hunter Murray to launch No Such Thing As A Fish. The weekly podcast brought together four researchers discussing unusual facts they had discovered. The concept was straightforward but highly adaptable: each episode could move from history to science, culture, language, animals or completely unexpected subjects.
Schreiber is both a co-creator and co-host of the programme. The official podcast describes the four presenters as discussing their favourite facts uncovered during the previous week. The format combines research with informal conversation, allowing the hosts to joke, question one another and explore surprising details.
The podcast developed into a major success. According to its official biography, it has released more than 600 episodes and accumulated more than 500 million listens. It has also received multiple awards and appeared in major podcast charts.
The success of No Such Thing As A Fish also demonstrated how a programme based primarily on curiosity could develop beyond its original format. The podcast eventually led to live performances, books, television and a behind-the-scenes documentary.
No Such Thing As The News
Schreiber’s work with the podcast also moved into television. In 2016, the BBC commissioned No Such Thing As The News, a television spin-off based on the podcast. The programme presented unusual and humorous stories from the news while retaining the personality and factual curiosity of the original show. It ran for two series.
The project gave Schreiber another opportunity to combine research, comedy and presenting. It also showed how the chemistry developed through podcasting could work in a visual television format.
The Museum of Curiosity
Another significant part of Schreiber’s career has been The Museum of Curiosity, a BBC Radio 4 comedy programme. QI identifies Schreiber as a co-creator and co-producer of seven series of the programme.
The programme imagines a museum filled with fascinating objects and ideas donated by unusual and knowledgeable guests. Its concept fits naturally with Schreiber’s wider interest in curiosity and unexpected information. The QI description explains that the radio show invites interesting and unusual experts to make donations to a vast imaginary museum.
His involvement in the programme further established him as a producer and creative contributor rather than simply a performer.
Television and Documentary Work
Although podcasting has become one of Schreiber’s most recognizable areas of work, he has also appeared on television and radio in various capacities. The official No Such Thing As A Fish biography identifies him as a presenter, writer and producer. It also notes that he fronted the Channel 4 documentary special The Great UFO Conspiracy.
He has also worked with Animal Planet, co-hosting Monster Week alongside New Zealand comedian Rhys Darby. The project explored unusual creatures and stories, another subject that fits closely with Schreiber’s fascination with the strange and unexplained.
Dan Schreiber as an Author
Schreiber expanded his work into publishing with The Theory of Everything Else, his debut book published in 2022. Hachette describes him as an Australian writer, stand-up comedian, television presenter, producer and podcaster, while identifying the book as a collection exploring unusual theories and ideas.
The book reflects many of the themes that have appeared throughout his career. Rather than focusing on conventional explanations alone, Schreiber explores strange theories, mysteries and extraordinary possibilities while bringing his characteristic humour to the subject.
He later wrote Impossible Things, a book aimed at younger readers. Published in July 2024, it explores topics including monsters, cryptids, ghosts, aliens, curses and time travel. The publisher presents it as a fact-focused book for curious young readers who enjoy unusual questions and surprising information.
We Can Be Weirdos
In 2023, Schreiber launched another podcast called We Can Be Weirdos. According to QI, the interview podcast began that year.
The project represents another development in his career. While No Such Thing As A Fish is built around four hosts sharing facts, We Can Be Weirdos gives Schreiber more space to explore ideas through conversations with guests. Its subject matter continues his interest in unusual questions and the less conventional corners of science, culture and human curiosity.
Dan Schreiber’s Approach to Entertainment
One of the clearest themes across Schreiber’s career is curiosity. His projects repeatedly combine information with entertainment. Whether he is researching facts for QI, discussing discoveries on No Such Thing As A Fish, presenting documentaries or writing books about strange subjects, his work is generally built around the idea that learning can also be enjoyable.
This approach is closely aligned with the philosophy of QI itself. The organisation describes curiosity as central to its work and says its television, radio, podcasts and books combine comedy with facts.
Schreiber’s career therefore sits between several forms of entertainment. He is not limited to being a comedian, researcher, writer or presenter. Instead, he has moved between these roles, often combining several of them within the same project.
Why Dan Schreiber Remains Notable
Dan Schreiber’s career demonstrates how research can become the starting point for different forms of popular entertainment. His work with QI introduced him to a world built around unusual facts, while No Such Thing As A Fish transformed that research culture into a successful podcast. His subsequent television appearances, radio production, books and We Can Be Weirdos have allowed him to continue exploring the same broad interest from different perspectives.
For readers discovering his work for the first time, No Such Thing As A Fish provides perhaps the clearest introduction to his style. His books offer another way to explore his fascination with strange ideas, while his interview podcast demonstrates his continuing interest in people and subjects that challenge conventional expectations.
For more biographies, career stories and interesting profiles of notable personalities, readers can continue exploring The Pure Magazine, where stories beyond the ordinary bring together people, ideas and subjects from a wide range of fields.
FAQs About Dan Schreiber
Who is Dan Schreiber?
Dan Schreiber is an Australian writer, presenter, producer, comedian and podcaster best known as a co-creator and co-host of No Such Thing As A Fish.
What is Dan Schreiber famous for?
He is particularly known for No Such Thing As A Fish, the fact-based comedy podcast created by members of the QI research team.
Is Dan Schreiber associated with QI?
Yes. Schreiber has been part of the QI creative and research world and has worked on several QI-related projects.
What book did Dan Schreiber write?
His debut book was The Theory of Everything Else, published in 2022. He also wrote Impossible Things, published in 2024.
What is We Can Be Weirdos?
We Can Be Weirdos is Dan Schreiber’s interview podcast, launched in 2023. It continues his interest in unusual ideas and curious subjects.
When did No Such Thing As A Fish begin?
No Such Thing As A Fish launched in March 2014 and was created by QI researchers Dan Schreiber, James Harkin, Anna Ptaszynski and Andrew Hunter Murray.
What is Dan Schreiber’s role on No Such Thing As A Fish?
He is one of the show’s co-creators and co-hosts, alongside James Harkin, Anna Ptaszynski and Andrew Hunter Murray.
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