Simon Thomas (presenter) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Simon Thomas
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Thomas on the set of Sky Sports News
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| Born | 1972/1973 (age 52–53) Norfolk, England
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| Alma mater | Birmingham University |
| Occupation | Presenter |
| Spouse(s) |
Derrina Jebb
(m. 2021) |
Simon Thomas (born 4 July 1973) is an English television presenter. He is well-known for hosting Soccer Saturday on Sky Sports. Simon also worked on the popular children's show Blue Peter for six years. From 2016 to 2018, he presented live Premier League football for Sky Sports.
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Early Life and Education
Simon Thomas was born in Norwich, Norfolk, England. His parents are Andrew and Gill Thomas, and he has two sisters, Hannah and Rebecca. Simon spent his early years in Cromer and then Grimston. He went to Grimston Primary and Middle School.
Later, his family moved to Surrey. There, he attended Aberdour School in Tadworth and St. John's School, Leatherhead. After finishing school, Simon went to Birmingham University. He earned a degree in history.
Broadcasting Career Highlights
Simon Thomas has had a long and successful career in television. He has worked on shows for children and adults, especially in sports.
Working on Blue Peter
Simon Thomas joined the famous children's programme Blue Peter on 8 January 1999. He had applied for the job three times before getting it! Before this, he worked behind the scenes at Children's BBC and for a radio station called LBC.
During his time on Blue Peter, Simon took on many exciting challenges:
- He ran in the London Marathon twice.
- He also completed two Great North Runs.
- Simon climbed huge mountains like Mount Kilimanjaro and Mont Blanc.
- He did over 40 solo skydives with the Royal Air Force.
- He presented a medal at the Commonwealth Games.
- He even ran in a 60-meter sprint race against famous athletes.
- Simon also directed one episode of the show.
One special moment was when he gave the Queen a Gold Blue Peter badge. He joked that with the badge, "she could get into the Tower of London free!"
Simon worked alongside other presenters such as Stuart Miles, Katy Hill, Konnie Huq, Matt Baker, Liz Barker, and Zöe Salmon. He announced he would leave Blue Peter in January 2005. His last live show was on 25 April that year.
Time at the BBC
While at the BBC, Simon also presented other shows. In 2001 and 2002, he hosted CBBC Proms in the Park in Hyde Park. He worked with Matt Baker and Faye Tozer in 2001, and with Fearne Cotton in 2002. He also presented a show called Making Tracks on BBC Radio 3 with Matt Baker.
Joining Sky Sports
After leaving the BBC, Simon Thomas joined Sky Sports in June 2005. He started by presenting the afternoon news on Sky Sports News with Georgie Thompson. He also presented Cricket AM during the summer.
Simon took on many different roles at Sky Sports:
- He presented the Sky Sports Victory Shield.
- He covered England's U21s games.
- He reported on International Cricket.
- He covered the Mosconi Cup from Las Vegas.
- He reported on the 2010 Ryder Cup.
In 2010, Simon became the main presenter for Sky Sports' live Football League coverage. He then started presenting live League Cup football in 2014. From August 2016, Simon began presenting live Premier League matches. He often works with well-known football experts like Graeme Souness, Jamie Redknapp, and Thierry Henry.
Appearing on This Morning
In May 2019, Simon took part in a special three-part series for the TV show This Morning. The series was called 'Pursuits of Happiness'. It showed how different activities can help people deal with mental health challenges.
In September 2019, Simon appeared on This Morning again. This time, he helped to raise awareness about the signs of blood cancer.
Other Work and Interests
In August 2009 and 2010, Simon Thomas was a host on the Main Stage at Greenbelt. This is a Christian music and arts festival.
Personal Life
Simon Thomas lives in Buckinghamshire and has a son. He is a Christian and has always supported Norwich City football club. He is also a vice-president of the Norwich City Supporters Trust.
Simon's first wife, Gemma, sadly passed away on 24 November 2017. This happened just three days after she was diagnosed with a serious illness called acute myeloid leukaemia.
In July 2021, Simon married his girlfriend, Derrina Jebb, at Norwich Cathedral. On 6 October 2022, he announced that they had welcomed a daughter, who was born early.
