Simon has received a One World Broadcasting Trust Award for "an outstanding contribution to greater world understanding", the prestigious Ness Award from the Royal Geographical Society, the British Travel Press Award for Broadcast Travel Programme, the John Tompkins Natural History Award from the International Moving Image Society “for extraordinary achievements” in the field of natural wildlife and history filmmaking, and the Wanderlust Favourite Travel Personality award. His books have been in the bestseller lists of both The Sunday Times and The New York Times. In 2023 the Princess Royal presented Simon with an Honorary Doctorate in Literature from the University of London.
After two decades spent making more than 100 programmes Simon has become a familiar face on the BBC, well known for his extraordinary foreign journeys. Most of Simon’s documentaries combine travel and adventure with global environmental, wildlife, and conservation issues, and have taken him across jungles, deserts, mountains and oceans, and to some of the most beautiful, dangerous and remote regions of the world. Simon has dodged bullets on frontlines, hunted with the San Bushmen of the Kalahari, dived with manta rays, seals and sharks, survived malaria, walked through minefields, tracked lions on foot, been taught to fish by the President of Moldova, adopted by former headhunters, and detained for spying by the KGB.
Simon’s adventures are now shown on BBC2, BBC global channels, and by broadcasters in more than 60 countries, enthralling tens of millions of viewers. In the UK the consolidated audience for each episode of his programmes is more than five million viewers, and each of Simon’s series score almost uniquely high ‘Audience Appreciation’ ratings.
Simon’s own journey started slowly after he flunked out of school without any real qualifications. After a period on the dole, he ran charity shops, stacked shelves, and eventually found a job as a post-boy on a newspaper. By his early twenties he was working undercover as an investigative journalist. His bestselling book Step by Step, the first volume of his autobiography, made the Sunday Times Top 10 list as both hardback and paperback editions. It was the No.1 Travel Writing book and was shortlisted for the Edward Stanford Award. The second volume of his autobiography, Journeys to Impossible Places, was published to critical acclaim.
Simon has also appeared on stage at theatres across the UK on a Live tour. The tour started in 2018, was extended three times due to popular demand, and after 80 sold-out events finished with a night at the London Palladium – one of the most iconic theatres in the world.
In Autumn 2023 Simon started his second theatre tour, ‘TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH’, a completely new tour, with new stories, photos and videos. After a Sold Out run of events, it was extended into 2024.
Simon is married to Anya, a television camerawoman. They live in Devon and have one son.