Education
Wenner was educated at Stonyhurst College, a boarding independent school near Clitheroe in Lancashire, which he left in 1973, followed by Balliol College at the University of Oxford, where he acted in the Dramatic Society.
journalist presenter television presenter
Wenner was educated at Stonyhurst College, a boarding independent school near Clitheroe in Lancashire, which he left in 1973, followed by Balliol College at the University of Oxford, where he acted in the Dramatic Society.
Wenner is the third of four sons of Michael Alfred Wenner (born in 1921), an author, company director, former British diplomat and Ambassador to El Salvador (from 1967–1971), and Gunnilla Ståhle (1931-1986), of Sweden. On 14 September 1978, Wenner joined the British children"s television programme, Blue Peter. However, he left on 23 June 1980 (on the same day as his co-presenter Tina Heath), after the production team decided not to renew his contract as he was "deeply unpopular with the viewers." He returned to acting, taking a part in the 1984 Doctor Who adventure The Awakening, although in the final cut, his role was reduced to that of a non-speaking character.
He then focused on journalism.
In 1985, whilst working as a war correspondent in Beirut, he went missing. He turned up again, safe and well, after 18 days.
In 1991, he shot footage of a demonstration in Dili, East Timor, preceding a massacre and during the massacre itself. He filmed inside the Santa Cruz cemetery among the dead and the dying, as soldiers advanced in a well-organised operation against a huge crowd of East Timorese engaged in peaceful protest.
lieutenant was Wenner"s footage that brought the plight of the East Timorese to world attention.
In 1999 Wenner returned to East Timor under the name "Max Stahl". Wenner was one of the first Western journalists to recognize the scope of tensions in Chechnya. He travelled there with cameraman, filmmaker and author Peter Vronsky in 1992 to report on the break-away republic and nuclear weapons materials smuggling for the Canadian produced television special The Hunt for Red Mercury.
In 1998, whilst working as an ITN journalist for Channel 4, Wenner was beaten by Serb civilians during a mass protest.
He returned to Blue Peter in 1983 and 1998 to celebrate the show"s birthdays.