Nick Pope, a frequent contributor to Ancient Aliens and a former U.K. Ministry of Defence official known for his work on UFO investigations, has died after a battle with cancer. He was 60.
His wife, Elizabeth Weiss, announced his death in a Facebook post on April 6, writing, “My heart is breaking — Nick passed away this afternoon at our home. The last few weeks of his life, even as he suffered, he managed to do a few interviews from home. I was so lucky to have met and to have married Nick. He was a wonderful husband. I loved him dearly. -Elizabeth Weiss.”
Pope had revealed just weeks earlier that he had been diagnosed with Stage 4 esophageal cancer that had spread to his liver. In a deeply personal message shared February 12, he acknowledged the severity of his condition, writing, “I can’t beat it,” while reflecting on what he called “an amazing adventure” spanning both his government career and his later work in media.
During his 21 years at the U.K. Ministry of Defence, Pope worked on a range of topics including defense policy, counter-terrorism and unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), which later made him a recognizable figure in television documentaries and news appearances. He became widely known to audiences as a recurring expert on Ancient Aliens, the long-running History Channel series exploring theories about extraterrestrial influence on human history.
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The show paid tribute to Pope following news of his death, writing, “We are saddened by the passing of Nick Pope who was a beloved member of the Ancient Aliens family. He challenged us to look beyond what we know and question what may be possible. He will be deeply missed.”
The post has 12000 reactions and almost 1000 comments. Some fan comments include:
“Always felt like he knew more than he was allowed to mention. He will be missed by many.”
“He will be missed. Nick Pope and David Wilcock are/were the faces that kept me watching. Ancient Aliens will forever be less without his insight. 😢.”
“He definitely did his part in the awakening of humanity. Not surprised that his work etc was done. Things are happening very quickly now. May he continue to guide us home to ourselves. ✨💚.”
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Pope remained active in his work almost until the end, continuing interviews, conference appearances and live events, including his role as moderator of Ancient Aliens Live. In his final message, he expressed gratitude for both his career and his personal life, calling his marriage to Weiss as “the true highlight.” The two just celebrated their 15th wedding anniversary on February 25.
“It’s all been amazing, and I’m grateful for the things I’ve done, not mournful for the things that I won’t now get to do,” he wrote.
Ancient Aliens, which has aired on History since 2010, has become one of the network’s most recognizable franchises, blending speculative theories about extraterrestrial contact with historical and archaeological topics. Pope was among its most familiar on-screen voices, helping bring discussions of UFOs and UAP into mainstream conversation.
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This story was originally published by Parade on Apr 7, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.