Presenting '' episode "My Amazing Twin", in which Adam starred with his twin brother Neil Pearson graduated from the
University of Brighton with a degree in Business Management. He had various jobs in television production for the
BBC and
Channel 4 including the shows
The Undateables and
Beauty and the Beast. He worked as a researcher for the BBC and Channel 4 before becoming a strand presenter on the first series of
Beauty and the Beast: The Ugly Face of Prejudice in 2015 on Channel 4. Pearson stated that he had faced violent confrontation because of his appearance. He was also one of the development team of
Beauty and the Beast and consulted on the Dutch version of the series. Pearson has worked on all five series of
The Undateables for Channel 4 as the casting researcher. He has presented the
BBC Three documentaries
Adam Pearson: Freak Show and
The Ugly Face of Disability Hate Crime, and appeared as a reporter in the Channel 4 series
Tricks of the Restaurant Trade. He co-hosted the
BBC Four documentary ''
Eugenics: Science's Greatest Scandal'' with
Angela Saini in 2019. Pearson is a regular caller and occasional guest host to
The Bedtime Babble On, a radio programme that airs on
Spark Sunderland, weeknights from 9pm. Pearson was nominated as UK Documentary Presenter of the Year at the 2016 Grierson Awards. In August 2022, Pearson appeared on
Celebrity MasterChef, becoming the first contestant to be eliminated. That year, he also appeared in
Celebrity Antiques Road Trip. In 2024, he was the Brighton team captain on
Christmas University Challenge.
Acting In 2013, Pearson was cast alongside
Scarlett Johansson in
Jonathan Glazer's film
Under the Skin. He said that he hoped the role would challenge disfigurement stigma. It was in this film that Pearson discovered his enjoyment of acting. In 2019, Pearson starred in the film
Chained for Life (directed by
Aaron Schimberg). In 2024 Pearson played a leading role in Schimberg's next movie,
A Different Man, alongside
Sebastian Stan and
Renate Reinsve. The film premiered at the
2024 Sundance Film Festival on 21 January 2024. It also screened in Competition at the
74th Berlin International Film Festival on 16 February 2024. Pearson said of the film, "In order to challenge stereotypes, they first need to establish they exist". In May 2025, Pearson was announced to be starring as
Joseph Merrick in an upcoming film adaptation of
Bernard Pomerance's play
The Elephant Man. Pearson will be the first disabled actor to play this role in a film. ==Charity work==