Simon Reeve

Adventurer and presenter Simon Reeve visited RSGS HQ in Perth last week ahead of his sold-out event at Perth Concert Hall, to be presented with RSGS Honorary Fellowship.

Simon is well-known for his popular With Simon Reeve television series, each featuring a venture across the globe from Scandinavia to the Mediterranean, Australia, Indian Ocean and The Americas. He has also written several books about his experiences journeying across epic landscapes and how he went from a difficult childhood, leaving school with no qualifications, to a life of adventure and discovery. And now as an RSGS Fellow, he joins a prestigious list of names including Sir David Attenborough, Michael Palin, Levison Wood, Ray Mears, Kate Adie and Lyse Doucet.  

Simon Reeve receiving Fellowship from RSGS Trustee Lorna Ogilvie

During the presentation, RSGS Chief Executive Mike Robinson commented: “Through his many television programmes, Simon has helped popularise geography, travel and exploration to a very broad audience. Bringing a depth of empathy to his encounters, he brings together a genuinely geographical perspective - one that connects physical environments with human experience, and one that consistently highlights issues such as poverty, inequality, cultural and environmental sustainability and resilience, alongside the joy of seeing new places and understanding alternative perspectives. 

“In doing so, we believe he is helping audiences better understand both the complexity of our world and the critical challenges that shape it. Simon once said that risk taking began by saying yes to things and we are very glad that he said yes to this award.”

Simon commented: “I am hugely honoured to receive this award, and I will absolutely treasure it. I didn’t really have a traditional background for someone who likes to explore the planet, so I’ve been enormously blessed to have done so much travelling - I think the biggest surprise for me is that I’m still allowed to do it. 

“An interesting thing we have found doing this and over the last 5-10 years, is that discussions around geography and conservation in different parts of the world are being increasingly owned by local people who passionately believe in what they are protecting.  It is a fascinating change and hopefully something we will continue to see in the wider story of geography as people take more ownership of their stories in our rapidly changing planet.”