{{Short description|TV commentator}} {{other people}} {{infobox person | name = Simon Reed | image = | caption = | birth_date = 5 August 1947 | birth_place = Sutton, London, England | education = King's College School | relatives = Oliver Reed (half-brother)<br>Sir Carol Reed (uncle)<br>Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree (grandfather) }}
'''Simon Reed''' (born 5 August 1947<ref>{{cite web|title=Simon Reed: Player profile|website=Eurosport|url=https://www.eurosport.com/tennis/simon-reed_prs22225/person.shtml|accessdate=19 May 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Entry information|website=freebmd|url=https://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?r=195446909:7476&d=bmd_1713787724|accessdate=19 May 2024}}</ref>) is a British broadcaster, known as a commentator on a variety of sports. His voice has also been heard on Dancing On Ice. He is the half-brother of actor Oliver Reed, nephew of film director Sir Carol Reed and grandson of RADA founder Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree.
Educated at King's College School, Reed captained Teddington Cricket Club from 1982 to 1986.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.teddingtoncc.co.uk/new-page-9 | title=1972-1982 }}</ref>
His career began in the 1970s at Thames Television, as a sports reporter, commentator and presenter. He covered a wide range of sports including ice dancing, providing the commentary on Torvill and Dean's European Championship winning performance of Bolero in 1984.
Simon began commentating on tennis in 1984 for Channel Four.<ref>{{cite web|title=Wimbledon 2013 on BBC TV: Biographies|website=BBC|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/wimbledon2013/tv-commentators|accessdate=19 May 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=TV listings|newspaper=Glasgow Herald|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HMFAAAAAIBAJ&dq=Simon+reed+tennis&pg=PA18|date=25 February 1984|accessdate=31 March 2025}}</ref> He has been a commentator on Eurosport since 1991. He has been head of their commentary team since 1995.<ref>{{cite web|title=HBS Broadcast Academy discusses future of commentating, 15 September|website=SVG Europe|url=https://www.svgeurope.org/blog/news-roundup/hbs-broadcast-academy-discusses-future-of-commentating-15-september/|accessdate=19 May 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Roger Federer vs Hyeon Chung Australian Open Live score updates|website=Telegraph|date=26 January 2018 |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tennis/2018/01/26/roger-federer-vs-hyeon-chung-australian-open-live-score-updates/|accessdate=31 March 2025 |last1=Briggs |first1=Simon |last2=Eccleshare |first2=Charlie }}</ref> Since 2000, he has been part of the BBC's Wimbledon commentary team.<ref>{{cite web|title=Broadcast - BBC programme|website=BBC|date=28 June 2000 |url=https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/781651d2fb114c6690a0228fd7fb5d7e|accessdate=19 May 2024}}</ref> In 2009, Reed discussed tennis being part of the Olympic games and said "The whole Olympic issue is a funny one. I don't think tennis needs the Olympics any more than the Olympics needs tennis, and though it's an easier fit than it used to be I have to say I still find its presence a little strange."<ref>{{cite web|title=Simon Reed: Politics|website=Eurosport|url=https://www.eurosport.com/tennis/simon-reed-politics_sto1851196/story.shtml|accessdate=19 May 2024}}</ref>
Reed was nominated for Sports commentator of the year at the Royal Television Society Television Sport Awards in 1999, but was runner-up to Peter Alliss.<ref>{{cite web|title=RTS Television Sport Awards 1999|website=Royal Television Society|date=14 February 2011 |url=https://rts.org.uk/award/rts-television-sport-awards-1999|accessdate=31 March 2025}}</ref>
An avid table tennis player and league competitor, Simon competes in the Guildford District Table Tennis League.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://guildford.ttleagues.com/league/1098/team/27518 | title=Guildford Table Tennis League | TT Leagues }}</ref>
A familiar voice for Eurosport's English channel, he still commentates for Tennis and Figure Skating, as well as the BBC<ref>{{cite news|title=TV listings|newspaper=Northampton Chronicle and Echo|url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk|date=28 June 2002|accessdate=31 March 2025}}</ref> at Wimbledon, the Olympics and ATP Tennis' World Feed. For the BBC, he reported on the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and commentated on badminton, tennis and table tennis matches at the Paris 2024 Olympics.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rio 2016 on the BBC - TV |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/rio/tv/ |access-date=2025-05-04 |website=www.bbc.co.uk |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Fall in love with the Paris 2024 Olympic Games on the BBC |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/mediapacks/olympic-games-paris-2024-on-the-bbc |access-date=2025-05-04 |website=www.bbc.co.uk |language=en}}</ref>
He gained media attention after he was suspended from the International Skating Union, after comments about Meagan Duhamel.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-03-24 |title=Skating announcer removed from broadcast after calling ex-skater 'The b**** from Canada' on hot mic |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/skating-simon-reed-nicky-slater-meagan-duhamel-canada-hot-mic-201222992.html |access-date=2024-05-19 |website=Yahoo Sports |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |author=A. O. L. Staff |date=2022-03-25 |title=Figure skating announcer who called Olympic champ 'that b---- from Canada' gets suspended |url=https://www.aol.com/news/figure-skating-announcer-called-olympic-213529821.html |access-date=2024-05-19 |website=www.aol.com |language=en-US}}</ref>
At Oliver Reed's funeral in 1999, Simon (who used to run Oliver's PR)<ref>{{cite web|title=Simon Reed on the secrets of tennis commentating|website=wimbledondebentureholders|date=15 February 2023 |url=https://wp.wimbledondebentureholders.com/2023/02/15/simon-reed-on-the-secrets-of-tennis-commentating/|accessdate=19 May 2024}}</ref> gave a tribute to his half brother saying "Oliver taught me a lot more than just about having a drink. He was innovative, very, very funny and very talented. He lived life as if it were a party."<ref>{{cite web|title=Oliver Reed given a rousing send-off in Cork|website=Irish Times|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/oliver-reed-given-a-rousing-send-off-in-cork-1.185519|accessdate=19 May 2024}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
== External links == * {{IMDb name|id=1675403}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reed, Simon}} Category:English sports broadcasters Category:Tennis commentators Category:1947 births Category:Beerbohm family Category:Living people