James Wong is an acclaimed ethnobotanist and plant specialist, and the youngest ever recipient of a medal from the Royal Horticultural Society. As a broadcaster, James bridges the gap between scientific research and everyday life, presenting food science and nature programmes for major platforms like the BBC, Netflix and Channel News Asia. Since co-founding Amphibian Designs in 2008, James has continually amazed viewers with his breathtaking gardens and has won four RHS medals and two gold medals at the Chelsea Flower Show. On stage, James explores the power of plants, forecasts future food trends and explains how brands can build trust with consumers in an age of food misinformation. James Wong is an accomplished speaker who brings the science of plants, food and gardening into a modern context, offering insights that resonate with audiences across industries and backgrounds.
James began his studies in Business Administration at the University of Bath before going on to train at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, graduating with a distinction in MSc Ethnobotany. After an introductory guest-presenting role on 'Gardeners’ World', James launched his broadcasting career as the presenter of Grow Your Own Drugs, which soon became the highest-rated gardening series on UK television. The programme continued to achieve success and won the Garden Media Guild Award for Garden Programme TV Broadcast of the Year in 2009. In the following years, James continued to share his horticultural knowledge on major programmes, including 'Countryfile', 'The Fabulous Mrs Beeton' and 'Our Food'.
In 2010, James presented his own show, 'James Wong and the Malaysian Garden', drawing on his British-Malaysian heritage to create a Malaysian-inspired garden. He also presented several episodes of the 'Great British Garden Revival', with the show winning Best Television Programme of the Year at the 2014 Garden Media Awards. James was a co-host on 'Nature and Us: A History Through Art' in 2021 and appears regularly on Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time. He is also a guest lecturer at the University of Kent and designed an ethnobotanical garden for the campus. James shares his expertise and guidance further in his 28-lesson Indoor Gardening Masterclass.
James is an international bestselling author and has published six hugely popular books. With his first two books, 'Grow Your Own Drugs' and 'Grow Your Own Drugs: A Year with James Wong', James brought the advice and insights from his hit TV series to readers at home. In 2012, James released 'James Wong's Homegrown Revolution', which became the fastest-selling gardening book in UK history. His later books, 'Grow For Flavour' and '10-a-day the Easy Way', shared practical, easy-to-follow advice for growing and cooking with plants at home. James was also a columnist for the Observer and writes for the New Scientist. In addition to his broadcasting and writing roles, James is an official ambassador for Kew Gardens and the Liz Earle Beauty Company.
With extensive broadcasting experience on respected programmes like 'Springwatch', 'The Secrets of Your Food', and BBC coverage of the 'Chelsea Flower Show', James is a confident and engaging speaker who effortlessly connects nature and science to modern audiences. Whether it’s breaking down food myths, sharing practical houseplant advice or exploring what the future holds for our diets, James is an exceptional speaker who informs, inspires and engages audiences of all kinds. Hire James Wong with Champions today and bring his unforgettable insights to your event.
Social Media
Books
Grow Your Own Drugs: Fantastically Easy Recipes for Natural Remedies and Beauty Treats
Grow Your Own Drugs: A Year With James Wong
Grow for Flavour: Tips & tricks to supercharge the flavour of homegrown harvests
How to Eat Better: How to Shop, Store & Cook to Make Any Food a Superfood
10-a-Day the Easy Way: Fuss-free Recipes & Simple Science to Transform your Health
James Wong's Homegrown Revolution
James Wong's official speaking topics are listed below:
Can We Predict Food Trends?
Food trend forecasting is now a multimillion-dollar industry. From insect protein to algae bread, bold predictions ripple through headlines, TV shows, and boardrooms — promising a clearer picture of what’s coming next. But what if most food forecasting is built on far shakier ground than we admit?
In a world shaped by cultural whiplash, political shocks, and human contradiction, this talk challenges the idea that the future of food can be reliably mapped at all. Botanist James Wong digs into why food futures so often surprise us, using social science and cultural insight to reveal what really drives what we eat — not just innovation and markets, but identity, emotion, fear, and desire.
The session ends by taking a deliberate risk: offering speculative glimpses of what might be on our plates in 2050. Not predictions, but provocations — designed to unsettle assumptions, stretch imaginations, and change how we think about preparing for the future of food.
Food, Fiction and the Fight for Trust
We live in a golden age of food advice — and a golden age of food nonsense. From demonised ingredients and miracle superfoods to viral detoxes and nutrition conspiracies, misinformation now spreads faster than evidence ever could.
In a world of algorithms, influencers, and deepening distrust, this talk explores how and why food and nutrition myths take hold, and what they reveal about fear, identity, power, and who we choose to believe. Botanist James Wong unpacks the psychology and culture behind modern food misinformation, showing why facts alone are rarely enough to change minds.
More importantly, the session challenges organisations to rethink how they communicate science. Moving beyond corrections and claims, it offers practical, provocative insights into how brands and institutions can speak about science in ways that feel human, relevant, and trustworthy — and how to earn credibility in an age where “fake news” often sounds better than the truth.
- 2021 - Co-presenter of 'Nature and Us: A History Through Art'
- 2019 - Published '10-a-day the Easy Way'
- 2017 - Co-presenter of 'Springwatch'
- 2017 - Co-presenter of 'The Secrets of Your Food'
- 2017 - Published 'How to Eat Better'
- 2015 - Co-presenter of 'BBC Chelsea Flower Show Coverage'
- 2015 - Weekly column in The Observer
- 2015 - Published 'Grow For Flavour'
- 2015 - Named one of the Top 20 Most Influential People in Horticulture by The Sunday Times
- 2014 - RHS Ambassador
- 2014 - Won the Garden Media Award for Best Television Programme for 'Great British Garden Revival'
- 2014 - Co-presenter of 'Great British Garden Revival'
- 2013 - Presented several episodes of Great British Garden Revival, winning Best Television Programme of the Year at the 2014 Garden Media Awards.
- 2013 - Co-presenter of 'Expensive Eats'
- 2012 - Co-presenter of 'The People's Rainforest'
- 2012 - Published 'James Wong's Homegrown Revolution', becoming the fastest-selling gardening book in UK history
- 2012 - Co-presenter of 'Our Food'
- 2011 - Won gold medal at RHS Chelsea Flower Show
- 2011 - Co-presenter of 'The Fabulous Mrs Beeton'
- 2010 - Won gold medal at RHS Chelsea Flower Show
- 2010 - Published 'Grow Your Own Drugs - A Year with James Wong'
- 2010 - Presenter of 'James Wong and the Malaysian Garden'
- 2009 - Published 'Grow Your Own Drugs'
- 2009 - Co-presenter of 'Countryfile'
- 2009 - Won the Garden Media Guild Award for Garden Programme TV Broadcast of the Year for 'Grow Your Own Drugs'
- 2009 - Presenter of 'Grow Your Own Drugs'
- 2009 - Silver medal at the Chelsea Flower Show
- 2008 - Guest presenter on 'Gardener's World'
- 2008 - Co-founded Amphibian Designs
- 2006 - Trained at Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, where he obtained an MSc in Ethnobotany, graduating with distinction
- 2004 - Youngest ever RHS Medal Winner at the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show
- 1999 - Studied BSc in Business Administration at the University of Bath
How to hire James Wong
Contact the Champions Speakers Agency to provisionally enquire about hiring James Wong for your next event, today. To get in touch, simply call an official booking agent on 0207 1010 553 or email us at [email protected] for more information.
** We do NOT accept requests for autographs, signed merchandise, fan mail, birthday messages or any other non-commercial contact with the speakers or acts. Each speaker on the website may not have necessarily worked with Champions in the past but are known to perform such engagements within the industry.
