Simon Calder wins Celebrity Mastermind and donates fee to Farm Africa

Farm Africa is thrilled that renowned travel journalist, Simon Calder, has won the Christmas edition of Celebrity Mastermind.

Simon appeared on Celebrity Mastermind on Tuesday 27 December, BBC One at 5.35pm. On the show he said that he had chosen Farm Africa to benefit from his appearance on the show.

Viewers in the UK can watch the show again on BBC iPlayer until January 3rd 2012.

Simon Calder is Britain’s leading travel commentator but it wasn’t always like this. He began his career at Gatwick airport, where he cleaned out planes for Sir Freddie Laker and, later, frisked passengers (for a job, that is; not a hobby).

He then started to write travel guidebooks and travel articles.  Today Simon is Senior Travel Editor of The Independent. Simon also writes for the i, the Evening Standard, Conde Nast Traveller, BA’s inflight magazine, High Life and the Travel Trade Gazette as well as a host of other publications. 

Every Sunday evening between 7 and 9 pm, he gives travel advice, inspiration and help to LBC 97.3 FM listeners on The LBC Travel Show with Simon Calder (also broadcast online, on digital, on Sky 0112 and Virgin Media 973). Once a month, he presents Fast Track’s Travel Clinic on BBC Worldwide where he answers viewers travel questions and queries. He also keeps a Weekly Video Diary which can be found online at the Independent and on his personal website.

He is a regular guest on national TV, often seen on BBC Breakfast News, Daybreak, ITV News and Sky News. He is often interviewed on BBC radio, particularly for BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio Five Live!  

Commenting on Simon’s win, Farm Africa’s CEO, Nigel Harris, said:

“Farm Africa is thrilled that Simon has chosen us to benefit from his win on Celebrity Mastermind.  All funds raised by Simon will have an immediate impact on our work which last year alone benefitted 649,000 African farmers, providing them with the skills, knowledge and tools they need to grow more food and earn more income. Congratulations, Simon, from everyone at Farm Africa.”

Learn more about Simon Calder from his website.