Hannah Fry
Hannah Fry is a British mathematician, author and broadcaster. She is Professor of the Public Understanding of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge, presents BBC science programmes, won an Emmy in 2025 for The Future with Hannah Fry, and tours the UK in 2027 with Come Fry With Me.
Who is Hannah Fry?
Professor Hannah Fry is a British mathematician and science communicator. Since January 2025 she has been the first Professor of the Public Understanding of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge and a Fellow of Queens' College. Before that she was Professor of the Mathematics of Cities at University College London, where she also earned her PhD in fluid dynamics in 2011. She was President of the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications for 2024–25.
Her work has earned the Christopher Zeeman Medal (2018), the Asimov Prize (2020), the Royal Society's David Attenborough Award (2024), an Emmy for The Future with Hannah Fry (2025), a Webby Award for The Rest Is Science (2026), and the Leelavati Prize (2026).
On screen and on air
Fry is a familiar face on BBC television and radio, with programmes such as The Secret Genius of Modern Life, Magic Numbers, AI Confidential and The Joy of Data. She delivered the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures in 2019 — the first woman mathematician to do so. On radio and podcasts she co-hosts Curious Cases on BBC Radio 4 and The Rest Is Science with Michael Stevens. In autumn 2026 she is a contestant on BBC One's The Celebrity Traitors.
Full list of TV and radio programmes · Podcasts and talks
The books
- No One Knows What They're Doing (2027)
- Hello World (2018)
- The Mathematics of Love (2015)
- The Indisputable Existence of Santa Claus (2017)
- Rutherford & Fry's Complete Guide to Absolutely Everything (Abridged) (2021)
New to her work? Here is where to start.
Career
Fry grew up in Hertfordshire and studied mathematics at University College London. After her PhD (2011) she joined UCL's Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis, modelling urban phenomena from crime patterns to transport systems. She moved to Cambridge in January 2025 to take up the newly created professorship.
Mathematics made accessible
Much of Fry's public work makes mathematical ideas — probability, algorithms, data, game theory — accessible to a general audience. She covers these themes in her books, programmes and live shows, including the Come Fry With Me tour.
Maths for beginners: the topics Hannah Fry is known for
Come Fry With Me, live in 2027
Her 2027 UK tour visits ten cities between 28 September and 31 October. See the dates, or learn what to expect.
Questions about Hannah Fry
What is Hannah Fry a professor of?
She is Professor of the Public Understanding of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge, the first person to hold the post. She started on 1 January 2025, in the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, and is a Professorial Fellow of Queens' College.
Where did Hannah Fry study?
At University College London. She took her undergraduate degree in mathematics there, then a PhD in fluid dynamics, submitting her thesis on droplet deformation in 2011. She later became Professor of the Mathematics of Cities at UCL before moving to Cambridge.
What is Hannah Fry famous for?
Making maths and science accessible. She presents BBC programmes such as The Secret Genius of Modern Life, co-hosts the podcast The Rest Is Science, wrote Hello World, gave the 2019 Royal Institution Christmas Lectures and won an Emmy in 2025 for The Future with Hannah Fry.
Is Hannah Fry on The Celebrity Traitors?
Yes. The BBC announced in May 2026 that she is one of the contestants in the second series of The Celebrity Traitors on BBC One, shown in autumn 2026.
Is Hannah Fry touring?
Yes. Come Fry With Me is her 2027 UK tour: 14 shows in 10 cities from 28 September to 31 October 2027. Tickets went on general sale on 25 September 2026.
Sources: University and publisher biographies, BBC programme pages and public reference pages. This site is independent and not affiliated with Hannah Fry.