ABOUT

Beau Donelly is an Australian journalist and author who is based in Europe, where he works as an editor for the open source investigative outlet Bellingcat. 

Beau’s work has taken him across four continents: from remote Aboriginal communities in Australia to a frozen Ukrainian border crossing in the aftermath of Russia's invasion; into the murky world of Jakarta’s underground abortion industry; from the streets of Paris to impoverished villages in Africa. He has reported from crime scenes and courthouses, from inside illegal brothels and puppy farms, from refugee centres and oncology wards, from bedsides and gravesides. 

His feature writing, news breaking and investigative skills have been recognised by the Melbourne Press Club, the United Nations Association of Australia and the Irish Journalism Awards. Beau has twice been a finalist for Australia’s most prestigious journalism honour, the Walkley Award.

Beau and his colleague Nick Toscano’s investigation into Australian cancer scammer Belle Gibson exposed her as a fraud. Beau and Nick subsequently wrote the best-selling book The Woman Who Fooled The World, which is the basis for the AACTA and Logie award-winning Netflix series Apple Cider Vinegar, released globally in 2025.

Beau’s work has focused on human rights, social justice, crime and power. He has exposed injustice and inequality, breaking stories about exploitation, abuse and wrongdoing. His reporting on major government security breaches involving foster children and their carers led to a government inquiry and compensation for victims. Beau's stories about a girl at risk of Female Genital Mutilation in Guinea prompted the Australian government to fast-track visas for the child and her family.

Beau's coverage of end-of-life rights includes documenting the death of a man who turned down life-prolonging medical treatment. His extensive reporting on peadophile clergy includes covering Australia’s royal commission into child sexual abuse. In Uganda, he worked with photojournalist Chris Hopkins to document the plight of disabled children.

​B​eau has investigated fentanyl overdose deaths in America and illegal sports betting farms in Eastern Europe. He was part of a consortium of journalists across four newsrooms who identified the man behind the world's largest non-consensual deepfake pornography ​website. He has used open sources to track wanted drug cartel leaders and written about the little-known corporate vehicles that allow criminals to launder money. With his colleague John Mooney, Beau revealed how undeclared payments were secretly routed from Ireland’s public broadcaster to its highest paid presenter via a controversial barter fund.

In 2024, Beau joined the Netherlands-based media outlet Bellingcat, where he is editor of the financial investigations team. He previously worked as a senior reporter for The Times and The Sunday Times in Ireland, and as a journalist for The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald in Australia. His stories have been published by various media outlets, including Al Jazeera, The Irish Times and The Independent.

Beau has a Bachelor of Journalism from Monash University in Melbourne, and is originally from Brisbane.