Elected a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society in 1990.
While covering the US-led war on terrorism in 2001, he famously claimed
on-air that the BBC had "liberated Kabul" from Taliban occupation
(Simpson and his BBC camera crew arrived in the city ahead of the main
Northern Alliance forces).
His wife Dee gave birth to their first child on 16th January 2006, a
baby boy weighing 7lb 8oz.
Makes his home between Oxford (UK) and Bullock Harbour, Dalkey (Ireland).