Simon Reeve (British TV presenter) explained

Simon Alan Reeve
Image Upright:1.15
Birth Place:Hammersmith, London, England
Birth Date:21 July 1972
Occupation:Author, documentary filmmaker, television presenter
Known For:First and only author to document 1993 World Trade Center bombing,
Terrorism and political travel documentary film maker
Television:see below
Spouse:Anya Reeve (née Courts)
Children:1
Awards:see below

Simon Alan Reeve[1] (born 21 July 1972) is an English author, journalist, adventurer, documentary filmmaker and television presenter.

He makes global travel and environmental documentaries, and has written books on international terrorism,[2] modern history, and his adventures. Amongst his many television programmes and series for the BBC, Reeve has presented Holidays in the Danger Zone: Places That Don't Exist,[2] Tropic of Cancer with Simon Reeve, Equator and Tropic of Capricorn.

Reeve is the author of The New Jackals (1998), One Day in September (2005) and Tropic of Capricorn (2007). He has received a One World Broadcasting Trust Award[3] and the 2012 Ness Award from the Royal Geographical Society (RGS).[4]

Reeve divides his home time between London and Devon.[5]

Early life

Reeve was born and raised in Acton, West London, by his parents, Alan Reeve, who was a teacher, and Cindy Reeve, who was an occupational therapist and worked in restaurants.[6] He has a younger brother called James.[7] He attended the Twyford Church of England High School in Acton.[8]

Reeve had a ‘tense and sometimes violent relationship’ with his father when he was growing up.[9] He said that in his house ‘there was endless shouting, lots of crashing and banging, and a few times it was so violent we or our neighbours called the police to come and break us up’.[10]

From the age of 14, he required counselling due to behavioural problems, such as starting fires, vandalism, and setting off an explosive at the Ealing Broadway Centre.[11] He ended up carrying a knife by the time he was 12 or 13.[12]

He described his final months at school being "a bit of a blur". He left school with one GCSE, living on benefits, and with mental health problems. At the age of 17, Reeve stated he was even a "whisker away" from suicide. He found himself standing on the edge of a bridge, unable to "face existence", but something made him climb back.[13]

Career

After leaving school, he took a series of jobs, including working in a supermarket, a jewellery shop and a charity shop. At the age of 18, he began work at the British newspaper The Sunday Times, initially as a post boy[14] [15] [16] and then in the cuttings library, where he assisted a team of investigative journalists. During this time he spent nights working on investigations into nuclear and weapons smuggling, and terrorism. One of his formative roles at 18 was to follow a weapons dealer from Gatwick Airport.

At the age of 21, citing his "fearlessness of youth", Reeve was investigating the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.[11] [14] [15] He wrote a book The New Jackals: Ramzi Yousef, Osama bin Laden and the Future of Terrorism; eventually published in 1998, it was the first book on Osama bin Laden, Ramzi Yousef, and al-Qaeda;[14] [15] this became a New York Times bestseller.[17] Classified documents obtained by the author, with uninhibited access from the likes of the FBI and the CIA, detailed the existence, development, and aims of al-Qaeda,[14] [18] yet his book warning of an apocalyptic act by terrorists went unnoticed.[14] [15]

After the attacks of 11 September 2001 in the United States of America, Reeve became a media expert on terrorism on the basis of his book.[15] The BBC initially wanted him to make a programme involving infiltrating al-Qaeda.[15] He eventually began making travel documentaries. Tom Hall, travel editor for Lonely Planet publications, has described Reeve's travel documentaries as "the best travel television programmes of the past five years".[19]

In January 2013, Reeve appeared in a charity special of The Great British Bake Off.

6 September 2018 saw the release of Reeve's autobiography called Step by Step: The Life in My Journeys; covering his humble beginnings to successful author and television presenter.[16]

After catching malaria on a journey around the Equator, Reeve became an ambassador for the Malaria Awareness Campaign.[20] [21] Along with Sir David Attenborough and other conservation specialists, Reeve is a member of the Council of Ambassadors for WWF, one of the world's leading environmental organisations.[22]

In 2020, Reeve was commissioned to present his first UK-based travel show Cornwall With Simon Reeve,[23] which was ordered by BBC Two alongside Incredible Journeys With Simon Reeve. The latter show is due to be a 'look back' programme similar to Joanna Lumley's Unseen Adventures or Michael Palin: Travels of a Lifetime[24] (a show which featured both Reeve and Lumley talking about the ex-Monty Python actor's travels).

Television

Bibliography

Awards and accolades

Personal life

Reeve is married to Anya Reeve[11] (née Courts), a television camerawoman and campaigner who has stood as a Green Party candidate.[41] The couple have a son called Jake.[11] [42]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Index entry – Reeve, Simon Alan. www.FreeBMD.org.uk. ONS. 22 August 2021.
  2. Web site: Wilkinson. Carl. 1 May 2005. On the road to nowhere. www.TheGuardian.com. The Guardian – Guardian News & Media Limited. 22 August 2021.
  3. Web site: oneworld media awards 2005. www.OWBT.org. One World Broadcasting Trust. London, England. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20080305014629/http://www.owbt.org/old%20site/awards2005/Winners2005.htm#PopFeat. 5 March 2008. dmy-all. 22 August 2021.
  4. Web site: 2012 medals and awards. www.RGS.org. Royal Geographical Society. https://web.archive.org/web/20171115113602/http://www.rgs.org/AboutUs/Medals+and+Awards/2012+medals+and+awards.htm. dead. 15 November 2017. 2014-02-02. 2019-04-04.
  5. Web site: BBC Two announce two new travel series with Simon Reeve. TVZoneUK.com. 9 October 2020. 22 August 2021.
  6. News: Crampton . Robert . Simon Reeve interview: on his new book Step by Step and why he's going on tour . . en . 2022-11-20 . 0140-0460.
  7. News: Shute . Joe . 2019-01-25 . Simon Reeve: My teen mental health torment drove me to the brink . en-GB . The Telegraph . 2022-11-20 . 0307-1235.
  8. Web site: 2005-05-01 . Tales from my travels: Terrorism expert Simon Reeve . 2022-11-20 . the Guardian . en.
  9. Web site: TV adventurer Simon Reeve on how Scotland saved his life . 2022-11-20 . HeraldScotland . 7 October 2018 . en.
  10. Web site: Step by Step by Simon Reeve PDF Download . 2022-11-20 . d-pdf.com.
  11. Web site: Curtin. April. 7 March 2021. How Simon Reeve went from a life of crime to successful TV journalist. www.MyLondon.news. Reach plc. 22 August 2021. He used to set off explosive devices and take a rambo knife to school.
  12. Web site: Food . Joe . 2019-10-08 . Simon Reeve: "We are too connected as people now to ignore the rest of the world" . 2022-11-20 . Exposed Magazine . en-GB.
  13. Web site: BBC Radio 4 - Desert Island Discs, Simon Reeve, broadcaster and writer. 2022-01-12. BBC. en-GB.
  14. Web site: Chacksfield. Marc. 1 April 2015. Simon Reeve on guns, drug busts and CIA agents. shortlist.com. London, England. ShortList Media Ltd. 24 August 2021.
  15. Web site: How Osama bin Laden kick-started Simon Reeve's TV career. SBS.com.au. New South Wales, Australia. Guide – Special Broadcasting Service (SBS). 10 April 2017. 22 August 2021.
  16. Book: Reeve, Simon. 2018. . Step By Step The Life In My Journeys . “Taking chances is often where the best memories are, and the richest rewards in life come from a bit of risk-taking. We can all benefit from pushing ourselves, our partners, friends or family, out of our respective comfort zones”. 9781473689107.
  17. Web site: Making memories is where it's at for global adventurer. Henley Standard. 15 November 2020.
  18. Powers. Thomas. The Trouble with the CIA - The New York Review of Books. The New York Review of Books. 10 January 2014. 2002. 49 . 1 .
  19. Web site: WELCOME. Shootandscribble. Productions.
  20. News: Deeley . Laura . 12 May 2007 . A real globetrotter . . 23 May 2010 . subscription .
  21. Web site: Home - GSK UK.
  22. Web site: Simon Reeve - WWF UK . 2013-11-21 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20131202234758/http://www.wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/about_us/more_about_wwf/wwf_uk_council_of_ambassadors/simon_reeve.cfm . 2 December 2013 . dmy-all .
  23. Web site: televisual.com. 2020-10-09. BBC2 orders Simon Reeves shows from The Garden, Beagle. 2021-07-28. Televisual.
  24. Web site: BBC Two - Michael Palin: Travels of a Lifetime, Series 1, Episode 1. 2021-07-28. BBC. en-GB.
  25. News: Meet the Stans . BBC News . 29 September 2003 . 23 May 2010 . Simon . Reeve.
  26. News: Saudi: The Family in Crisis . BBC News . 8 July 2004 . 23 May 2010.
  27. Web site: Places That Don't Exist. Shootandscribble. Productions.
  28. Web site: Equator. Shootandscribble. Productions.
  29. News: 10 March 2008. Tropic of Capricorn. BBC News. 23 May 2010.
  30. Web site: Productions. Shootandscribble. Tropic of Cancer.
  31. Web site: Productions. Shootandscribble. Indian Ocean.
  32. Web site: Productions. Shootandscribble. Cuba.
  33. Web site: BBC - Australia With Simon Reeve - Media Centre. www.bbc.co.uk.
  34. News: Summers. Chris. 25 January 2014. How Vietnam became a coffee giant. BBC News .
  35. Web site: 5 October 2017. Russia With Simon Reeve: Episode Two. 13 October 2017. BBC Two.
  36. Web site: The Lakes with Simon Reeve. bbc.co.uk. 27 October 2021 . 5 November 2021.
  37. Web site: Simon Reeve returns to BBC Two with brand new South America Series. bbc.co.uk. 31 August 2021.
  38. Web site: Simon Reeve's Return to Cornwall. bbc.co.uk. 31 March 2023.
  39. Web site: Simon Reeve travels across the world's greatest wilderness for new BBC series. bbc.co.uk. 18 October 2023.
  40. Web site: BBC announces two new series with Simon Reeve. bbc.co.uk/mediacentre. 14 June 2024.
  41. Web site: Camden News: Anya Reeve | Larraine Revah | Linda Chung | Stephen Phillips | Hampstead Town by-election. www.thecnj.com.
  42. Web site: Who is Simon Reeve's wife? The Americas tour to family adventures!. hitc.com. 8 October 2020. 18 October 2020.

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