[8] Beyond his political work, Öpik has also been in the public eye through his appearances on several television shows and as a result of his personal relationships with ITV weather presenter Siân Lloyd and with pop star Gabriela Irimia of the Cheeky Girls, which drew considerable media attention.

[10][11][12] Öpik was educated at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution before going on to the University of Bristol, where he completed a degree in philosophy.

At the 1997 general election, the Liberal Democrat MP for Montgomeryshire, Alex Carlile, retired and Öpik successfully stood as the Lib Dem candidate.

[19][2][3] Öpik served as the Liberal Democrat spokesman on education (1997), Northern Ireland (1997–2007), Wales (2001–07), business (2007), and housing (2007–08).

[20] During the 2001–05 Parliament, Öpik was a member of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee in the House of Commons.

[4][5] In September 2004, Öpik stood for the position of President of the Liberal Democrats but was defeated by Simon Hughes.

However, Oaten quickly withdrew from the contest, having failed to attract enough support from within the parliamentary party; his only backers were Öpik and Baroness Ludford.

[26] Öpik supported Tim Farron in the 2015 Liberal Democrat leadership election, who eventually won with a margin of 13%.

It showed that in 2008–2009 he claimed £23,083 in second home allowances out of public funds, including various items of furniture and a £40 summons charge for non-payment of Council Tax.

The Telegraph also outlined a rejected expense claim he had attempted to make for £2,499 for a plasma screen television, after which he bought one costing £750.

[28][29] Öpik lost his seat in parliament at the 2010 general election when he was defeated in his constituency of Montgomeryshire by Glyn Davies of the Conservative Party by 13,976 votes to 12,792.

programmes on BBC Radio Kent[36] every Friday morning from 9:00 where he hosts the topical Kent Midmorning phone-in, and every Sunday from 11:00 where he presents a news panel format, digesting the week's local, national and international stories, looking at the newspapers, welcoming expert guests and politicians for discussions as well as taking calls from listeners.

On 24 June 2018, Öpik was elected as the chairman of the self-proclaimed and unrecognised parliament of the micronation Asgardia during the first parliamentary session in Vienna, Austria.

[38][39][40] "The birth of the new space nation Asgardia" was announced in a press conference in Paris, France, on 12 October 2016[41][42][43] Öpik was elected for a second term as Chair of Asgardian Parliament on 25 August 2023.

Away from politics, he has also appeared on Stand Up for the Week, Al Murray's Happy Hour, All Star Mr & Mrs, Loose Women, Bargain Hunt Famous Finds, Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway and Come Dine with Me, Celebrity Juice and I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!

[51] Öpik also gained media attention for his part in a music video by unsigned band The Good Suns.

The play, performed for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, starred 2015 parliamentary candidate for West Bromwich Will Goodhand.

[56] In 2009 Lembit Öpik published an article in The Guardian named "We need a cosmic plan" about risks of asteroid impact on Earth.

[59] With Hilary Bird and Ulvi Mustmaa, he is the author of the Xenophobe's Guide to the Estonians, published by Oval Books in June 2010.

[60] In March 2012, Öpik released his first collaborative work with Edward Joyce, The Alternative View, a book discussing the future of the Liberal Democrats in the UK, including a call for the then party leader Nick Clegg to step down as Leader of The Liberal Democrats, but to remain deputy prime minister in the coalition government.

[62] In 2003 he was a "day president" at the National Eisteddfod of Wales, held at Meifod within his constituency; this required him to make a speech in Welsh, for which he was coached by his then girlfriend, Siân Lloyd.

He fell 80 feet (24 m) onto a Welsh mountain in his constituency and broke his back in 12 places, as well as his ribs, sternum and jaw.

[71] The couple came close to marrying, but she ended the relationship in October 2006[16] and made unflattering comments about Öpik in her autobiography, A Funny Kind of Love.