Simon Reeve Interview

Global traveller, Simon Reeve, has explored all four corners of the world and faced life-threatening situations that we at BBM can’t even comprehend while sipping tea in our cosy headquarters. Following the success of his Australia series on the BBC, we spoke to Simon about his up-coming projects and his adorable two-year-old son.

Hi Simon, how are you?
I’m really good, thank you.

Where have you been recently?
I’ve just got back from Vietnam, and I’ve been to Thailand, Kenya and Uganda.

Wow. Are they all for new BBC series’?
Yeah they’re for new BBC projects. I’ve got a couple of things coming up: one called Pilgrimage, which is all about the greatest journeys of our ancestors across the world. There were a lot of brothels and drinking along the way for many of them, so that was fun! And I’ve just filmed in Vietnam, Kenya and Uganda about where our tea and coffee comes from.

Where are you speaking to us from day?
From glorious, sunny north London!

Ahh, not quite so exotic! So, the Australia with Simon Reeve series was so fascinating; of all the activities you took part in, was there one that summed up the expedition for you?
It’s tricky to identify just one, but probably going out with venom hunter, Dr Jamie Seymour, who studies the most dangerous animals on the planet. We went out on the Cape York Peninsula, one of the last great wilderness areas, home to 5m saltwater crocs, and the box jellyfish, the most venomous animal with 2m long tentacles that can kill a man. We went out there to hunt them and catch them, which involved jumping into the water and catching them by hand, and collecting their venom for medical research. And I was wearing a very thin wetsuit, which I can’t imagine would have provided much protection! He actually said it was best not to wear gloves, because you can become complacent, but I think he was quite frankly a bit of a nutter! You also have to be aware of the sharks and crocodiles, but you become a bit blasé with a camera crew as you’re there for the BBC, you know, surely nothing can go wrong!

You delve deep wherever you go, what do you think is the biggest threat to Australia as a whole?
Well, that’s interesting. I think we do try to travel with issues and stories, and not just me turning up and staying in 5-star hotels! So we do try to lift up the rug a bit. But, the biggest threat to Australia is us. We are rapacious about anything and everything, and our short-termism; we don’t think about the repercussions, of how or why, we want everything now and we don’t think about our children or our grandchildren. As a nation, Australia is hugely affected by our climate, seen by the wildfires, and the people have a complicated relationship with the environment because they love the outdoors and most live near to a beach, but they also love digging stuff out of the ground and selling it off to China. Back in the UK, people don’t realise that blue-collar workers are earning six-figure salaries.

What’s the one thing that all travellers should do in Australia?
You’ve gotta go to the Great Barrier Reef. I always put off learning to scuba dive, mainly because people told me to do it and I’m just a stroppy bugger! I learnt to scuba in a flooded quarry in Leicester which was awful, but I had to do it when touring the oceans and there’s nowhere better to scuba than the Great Barrier Reef; it’s the largest natural structure in the world and home to all the coral and colour the mind can imagine, 2000 species of fish and a vital part of the economy. Being able to breathe underwater in the most stunning place on earth – it’s wrong on so many levels, but has to be done.

You’ve been all over the world, is there anywhere left to tick off your list?
I can actually say that I’ve been all over the world, it’s true! I’ve been to 120 countries but there are loads more, you know, I haven’t been to Russia, Canada, Japan, West Africa, Central America – there are loads of places I’d love to go. I don’t want the BBC thinking “right, he’s finished now, let’s send him off to retirement”.

We’re sure you’ve got a few years left before that happens! What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced?
Personally, my own laziness and being confronted with so many options, but you have to live your life. We live in an incredible time where a muppet like me can go all over the world! But also, when we’re confronted by people that don’t want us there and you have a Kalashnikov thrown in front of you, that can be quite frightening… but I’m making a TV programme and we have to break boundaries and face sniper bullets and bandits and threats. That’s what people pay the TV license for! But most people we’ve met have been extremely hospitable and welcoming and want their voice heard through us. It gets you like a knife in the heart and it’s a privilege to tell their stories.

You have a two-year-old son…
Going on 14!

Haha! How have you balanced your family life with travel?
Not successfully, of which the full ramifications won’t be known until my son seeks therapy for his father that constantly abandoned him. I mean, he has a train set that he loves more than his father and he tries to hug the computer when we Skype! It’s tricky; I’m not a soldier going off to war, I just ponce off filming TV programmes. I have a choice and a very understanding wife who understands that it pays our mortgage, and I appreciate the value of my job.

Has he shown any interest in exploring?
[Laughs] I think he has actually! I was nervous about him injuring himself as we haven’t got many small parts for him, but he needs to have adventures and he’s confident – maybe too much – running along tree branches and climbing over rocks. So, he’s got a bit of wanderlust himself. I will leash him when he’s older though – and he’s not allowed a passport.

When you travel, is there anything you always take with you?
Yeah, I take everything with me. I’ve probably got too much with me, but you know, you’ll need one thing on one journey and you think to yourself “ah, I’ll probably need that again”. But I’ve got one guy who packs everything into one tiny little bag. Mine’s just accumulated over the years – tea bags, penknife, torches, flapjacks, poncho, sleeping bag, and crucially, eye mask and earplugs so you can sleep anywhere to get some shuteye!

Thanks for your time Simon; we look forward to seeing your next adventure.

By Charlotte Mellor