Samantha Simmonds Biography
Samantha Simmonds is a broadcast journalist, podcast host, corporate moderator, and inspirational speaker. She presents Politics London on BBC 1, BBC World News, the BBC News Channel, and BBC Business programmes. She also has her podcast ‘It’s a grown-up life’. Previously she was a presenter at Sky News for more than 10 years.
Samantha Simmonds Age
How old is Samantha Simmonds? Samantha is 43 years old as of 2022. She was born on August 21, 1979, in Bradford, United Kingdom.
Samantha Simmonds Height
She is 5 feet 7 inches tall (approximately 1.7m or 170cm).
Samantha Simmonds Nationality
Born and bred in the United Kingdom, Samantha is British by nationality.
Samantha Simmonds Education
Simmonds attended Leeds Girls’ High School from 1979 – 1991. She then joined the University of Liverpool graduating in 1994 with a BA in History and Communication Studies. While a student in Liverpool, she appeared as a contestant on the ITV television show Blind Date.
After graduating from the University of Liverpool, Simmonds secured a place on the prestigious postgraduate course in Broadcast Journalism at City University. She graduated in 1995 with a Postgraduate Diploma in Broadcast Journalism.
Samantha Simmonds Parents
Samantha is the daughter of an Iranian mother Shahnaz and a Yorkshire-born father Stefan. She was born in Bradford and grew up in the Alwoodley area of Leeds. Her mother, Shahnaz, arrived in the UK from Iran in the 1960s and now lives in Cheshire while her father, Stefan, still lives in Leeds.
Samantha’s original career plan had been to become either an actor or a lawyer. But that changed when she was at the University in Liverpool, where she began to write for the student newspaper. And the spell at Calendar increased her desire to work in journalism. Incidentally, her grandfather, Paul Simmonds, was a cameraman on Calendar and knew the news presenter Richard Whiteley.
“It was during my second year of my degree and as soon as I walked into the newsroom, I loved it straight away,” Samantha said.
“I loved the interviewing and the immediacy of television news.”
In 2015, Samantha revealed that her mother Shahnaz, in her 60s, is her biggest critic. In a blog post to mark her 10th anniversary fronting Sky News Breakfast, she opened up about her mother urging her to have Botox.
Writing on her website, Samantha said: “When it comes to my appearance my mum is my chief cheerleader and arch critic all rolled into one.
“My mother has always been and will always be incredibly glamorous. And she has started telling me with increasing urgency that I “need” Botox.”
Samantha, however, said her main reservation is about the example she will be setting for her children if she does undergo the anti-wrinkle injections.
“Aren’t I supposed to be teaching my kids to accept their looks and be happy as they are?” she wrote.
“Whenever I feel tempted to book in for Botox, I end up putting my vanity aside for their sake. Still, I’m not sure I’ll be able to put setting the right example over vanity forever.”
Samantha Simmonds Husband
Is Samantha Simmonds married? Samantha is married to Phillip Davies, a business consultant. The couple tied the knot in 2007. Samantha who was raised in a “culturally Jewish” home “re-connected” with Philip in shul one Yom Kippur. “We had known each other for many years,” she said.
She lives in north London with her husband Phil, and their three children two sons, Rafael and Zevi, and a daughter, Zeabella. They are also members of Muswell Hill synagogue.
Phillip took part in the London 2012 Olympics opening ceremony.
Samantha Simmonds BBC
Who is Samantha Simmonds? Samantha has been a journalist and broadcaster for more than 20 years – she is currently presenting on BBC World News where she covers international events of the day. She also presents Sunday politics on BBC 1 and has her podcast ‘It’s a grown-up life’.
She presented on Sky News for more than a decade anchoring coverage of some of the biggest stories of recent years. These included the murder of British MP Jo Cox, the EU referendum live from Gibraltar, several general elections, and the terror attacks in Tunisia and Brussels. She also broke the news of the sudden deaths of Michael Jackson, Amy Winehouse, and Heath Ledger.
Samantha’s highlights while at Sky included presenting on location at Buckingham Palace for the Queens’ 90th Birthday, and at the Olympic Park for the London 2012 opening ceremony – her husband was one of the volunteers in the ceremony! She also loved presenting from outside Buckingham Palace during the royal wedding – reporting on “The Kiss” and interviewing people who had traveled from all over the world to be there.
Samantha loves the challenge of handling live breaking news and dealing with the biggest events of the day – interviewing senior politicians, business leaders, celebrities, and ordinary people often at the center of shocking events.
On the BBC and at Sky Samantha’s more relaxed presentation skills can be seen when hosting the evening paper review. It allows her the opportunity to demonstrate a chattier more informal style of presenting – discussing and dissecting stories of the day, often having to act as a referee between guests with very opposing views.
Samantha Simmonds Salary
She receives an average annual salary of $77,396 as of 2023.
Samantha Simmonds Net Worth
She has an estimated net worth of $5 million as of July 2023.
