John Simpson CBE, the BBC’s World Affairs Editor, is a household name and the most distinguished foreign correspondent of the age. Recognised as the “David Attenborough” of news, John is a multi-award winning, veteran news broadcaster (and accomplished author) who has covered almost every major event of the world from... Read more
John Simpson CBE, the BBC’s World Affairs Editor, is a household name and the most distinguished foreign correspondent of the age. Recognised as the “David Attenborough” of news, John is a multi-award winning, veteran news broadcaster (and accomplished author) who has covered almost every major event of the world from the 1960s to the present day.
His seminal reports on the Big moments of recent history make up an illustrious list to include the Iranian Revolution, the First and Second Gulf Wars, the Fall of the Soviet Union and the Berlin Wall, the end of Apartheid in South Africa, the Genocide in Rwanda, the wars in the former Yugoslavia and the Tiananmen Square massacre in Beijing.
John Simpson’s stories of war and revolution are many and varied: he walked into Taliban-occupied Kabul at the head of the BBC news team in 2001, having previously infiltrated Afghanistan dressed in a burka. He accompanied the Ayatollah Khomeini on his plane from Paris to Tehran to depose the Shah of Iran, he danced on top of the Berlin Wall in 1989; he watched at close range the missiles raining down on Baghdad in the First Gulf War.
An eye-witness of the many wars in the Middle East and Afghanistan, the Irish troubles and the South African and Rhodesian struggles, as well as the many other major revolutions in the former East Block of Europe and Latin America, it is safe to assume that ‘whatever the Headline of the Daily news might be, John will be there.’
John Simpson has reported from 140 countries and interviewed 200 world leaders and dictators ranging from Michael Gorbachev and Vladimir Putin, Nelson Mandela, British Prime Ministers and U.S. Presidents to Fidel Castro, Colonel Gaddafi, Robert Mugabe and Saddam Hussein.
He met successive heads of the IRA, Hezbollah, Hamas, Taliban and of the Medellin and the Cali Drug Cartels at the height of their power. Osama bin-Laden offered to pay anyone to kill him in 1989.
He also interviewed Yasser Arafat under Israeli bombs in West Beirut and the slain Prime Minister of Israel Yitzhak Rabin in Jerusalem.
It hasn’t just been war and strife: John Simpson has rounded Cape Horn in a small boat and man hauled a sledge in the Arctic. He lived with a previously uncontacted tribe in the farthest reaches of the Amazon. He reported on the first sunrise of the new Millennium on a desert island in the South Pacific.
John was made a CBE for his reporting in 1991. He has won numerous awards, such as three Baftas, the International Emmy and Peabody in the U.S., the RTS Journalist of the Year, twice, – to name but a few.
Twelve universities have awarded him honorary doctorates, St. Andrews, Nottingham, Southampton, Exeter and Leeds, to name some. He was also made a Freeman of the City of London. He is an Honorary Fellow of Magdalene College, Cambridge.
John Simpson has written multiple books incl. his memoir “A Mad World, My Masters,” which was in the Sunday Times Best Seller List for 6 months, “Moscow, Midnight” and “Our Friends from Beijing”, which was published in the summer of 2021.
He was amused by being on GQ Best-Dressed Men of the Year list.
In 2022, John’s new current affairs programme ‘Unspun World with John Simpson’ started airing weekly on BBC2.
Tell us about your event, one of our consultants will reach out within 24 hours.
You can book John Simpson CBE through London Speaker Bureau by submitting the enquiry form on this page or calling our team. One of our consultants will respond promptly with John's current availability, speaking fees and any specific requirements for your event.
John Simpson CBE's speaking fees depend on the event format (in-person or virtual), the location, the length of the engagement and the level of customisation required. Please contact London Speaker Bureau for an up-to-date fee quote for John tailored to your event.
John Simpson CBE speaks on Europe, Facilitators & Moderators, Geopolitics, Global Trends, Government & Politics. Talks can be shaped around your audience, industry and strategic objectives - share your event brief with London Speaker Bureau and we will work with John to align the content with your delegates and goals.
London Speaker Bureau can book John Simpson CBE for events worldwide, subject to John's schedule. Please send us your event date, location and format and we will confirm availability and handle travel and logistics on your behalf.
Virtual and hybrid keynotes are now a standard part of the speaking industry. Please contact London Speaker Bureau to confirm whether John Simpson CBE is available to deliver a virtual session for your event and on which platform (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, a bespoke studio or your own).
Most keynote speeches run between 45 and 60 minutes, often followed by a 15-30 minute Q&A. Other formats - shorter conference slots, panel appearances or longer workshop sessions - may also be possible. Share your agenda with London Speaker Bureau and we will confirm what John can accommodate.
London Speaker Bureau will brief John Simpson CBE on your audience profile, sector and objectives so the keynote can be shaped around your event. The level of customisation possible depends on the speaker and the lead time - contact us with your brief and we will confirm what John can offer.
John Simpson CBE delivers keynotes in English. This profile may not list every language available; ask London Speaker Bureau to confirm. If you require simultaneous interpretation or a multilingual format, please mention this in your enquiry and London Speaker Bureau will arrange it for you.
John Simpson CBE's areas of expertise include Europe, Facilitators & Moderators, Geopolitics, Global Trends, Government & Politics. To get a clear sense of John's style, credentials and how they engage an audience, please review the biography, popular talks and any videos or testimonials shown on this page, or request a detailed speaker brief from London Speaker Bureau.
John Simpson CBE can be booked through London Speaker Bureau for corporate conferences, leadership events, internal team meetings, association gatherings and private client engagements where expertise in Europe, Facilitators & Moderators, Geopolitics, Global Trends, Government & Politics is relevant. Details of John's background and previous engagements are included in the biography above; contact us if you would like a more detailed list of past clients or case studies.
Beyond keynote speeches, many of the speakers on our roster also take part in workshops, executive masterclasses, panel discussions and fireside chats. Contact London Speaker Bureau with your preferred format and we will confirm what John Simpson CBE is able to offer alongside or instead of a keynote.
We generally recommend enquiring at least three to twelve months in advance to secure your preferred date with John Simpson CBE, particularly during peak conference seasons. Where possible we also accommodate shorter lead times - please contact London Speaker Bureau to check John's current availability for your dates.