Car Duels
Adrian Simpson interview
Adrian Simpson is the host of UKTV People's latest motoring show Car Duels. We grabbed this in demand presenter for a quick chat.
With rugged good looks and an attitude that suggests roguish charm, Adrian Simpson provides something of a glamorous alternative to your average car expert on the telly. Having transferred with the Top Gear old guard to Five's Fifth Gear alongside Vicki Butler-Henderson and Tiff Niddell, Adrian brings a no-nonsense bloke's approach to motoring without the laddie element found on certain other car shows.
Having worked as a motoring journalist and road-tester for many years, Adrian's move into television has not just been confined to the world of motors with stints presenting Five's The Gadget Show and Sky One's So You Think You're Safe also forming part of his TV CV.
Adrian and his wife and kids are on the verge of moving to the Balkans for a year to work on a new house (he's also a keen property developer) and to xperience a break from London life but you can get an Adrian fix when his latest show, Car Duels, is broadcast only on UKTV People from 5th November.
UKTV: So, tell us all about Car Duels.
AS: In each show, two celebs come and do a, shall we say, alternative form of motor sport. They might think they're going to be going round Silverstone in a really fast car, but we send them round a banger track in something like a Robin Reliant.
UKTV: Sounds like a right laugh.
AS: It was pretty good fun actually. We had people like Sir Steve Redgrave, Rhona Cameron, DJ Spoony all getting involved. But the best guy of the lot was Stuart Hall. He's a legend and about one million times funnier in person than he is on the radio or on the telly.
UKTV: Cars have clearly been a great passion of yours for many years. How did the love affair start?
AS: My Dad was always into cars - not so much fast and furious cars, but he was really into Land Rovers. I think my love of cars grew out of my Dad working on different Land Rovers each week - as well as reading Exchange & Mart and poring over all the bargains in there.
UKTV: Land Rovers? Did you grow up on a posh farm or something?
AS: No, nothing like that. My Dad had built a two-ton fishing boat but we lived in London so he needed something to tow it. So he bought a series of Land Rovers to test them out and that's how he got into them.
UKTV: You started young then.
AS: Well it was probably even earlier than that. When I was 3, we were camping in Aberystwyth and they lost me. They eventually found me by a load of wrecked cars near the campsite. I was just sitting in a seat, surrounded by broken glass, pretending to drive. So I think that's when it all began.
UKTV: Must be great to now make a living from your big area of interest. How did your big break come about?
AS: I used to work in the City but I ended up really hating it. Then I met a guy who was a test driver for a car magazine - and I just thought that sounded like the perfect job. I like writing, I like media and I love cars so I just thought, why don't I go and do that? It was a really simple equation and at the time, I didn't think that hard about it. When I think back on it now, it sounds ridiculous! But that's what I did so I wrote off to loads of car magazines and then Top Gear gave me two weeks' work experience
UKTV: Ahh, good old Top Gear. Was that a big part of growing up for you?
AS: It was always a reference when I was young I guess so it was quite freaky to eventually become a presenter on the show.
UKTV: You moved over to Fifth Gear on Five after that. How's it been?
AS: It's been lovely working with the other presenters. Take Tiff Niddell. He's that guy off the telly and then suddenly, he's my work colleague, which was pretty weird at first. But he's a very normal, funny bloke. Vicki Butler-Henderson I've known since I was working in magazines so it was nice to work with her again. She's a top girl and she actually goes out with a good mate of mine and lives round the corner.
UKTV: You've probably driven hundreds of motors. What was your favourite car of the 20th century?
AS: That's such a difficult question. It's like asking what your favourite top 10 songs are. You're always going to upset a certain part of your brain but I have to say, it does change all the time. But I couldn't be more excited than when I look at a split-screen VW Bus. For me, it doesn't have to be about performance or power. I just think they have it all.
UKTV: We assume you have your own then.
AS: I've got a 20 year old VW Power Van because I think it looks amazing and drives so nicely. I just bought myself a 5-series VW Touring and after one week of having it, I'm going to sell it because I like driving the Power Van too much.
UKTV: What was the first car you owned? Land Rover by any chance?
AS: Yep. I'm a twin and when we were 17, my Dad bought us a Land Rover and I did that up and got it back on the road. People might say their first car was a pain in the arse to drive but this was a 2.5-litre petrol that did 16 miles to the gallon; massive agricultural rack on it and it was from 1965 so it was like a 40 year old tractor. It was hard work, I can tell you, but I loved the thing to bits. I drove it everywhere - Leeds, Newcastle, Reading, Exeter. It only had drum brakes on it as well so it didn't always stop when you needed it to.
UKTV: What's the worst car you've owned?
AS: I actually haven't owned any bad cars really. I drove my Land Rover pretty much until I went to Japan when I was young. Then I lived in London so I didn't need a car. Then I worked in car mags where I got free cars.
UKTV: Ok. But what's the worst car you've ever driven?
AS: By far, the Saab 9 3 convertible. Awful. Awful to look at, awful to drive, awful image, awful build-quality. Noisy, lumpy piece of shit.
UKTV: Blimey. How come they're so popular?
AS: Well, they're popular in the way that people think wearing white Versace jeans is a good idea. They think they look good but most people think they look like an idiot. And that's what I think people look like who drive Saab 93 convertible. It's basically an old Vauxhall Vectra with the roof cut off. Total tosser's car.
UKTV: We get the idea. We also get the impression that for you, character rather than speed gets you going these days.
AS: Increasingly, yeah. The older I get, the more I like character. Just enjoying the car rather than, ahem, "liking the bitch up" as they say. That might have been a good idea when I was younger but I'm not trying to kid anyone: I haven't got the skills to lick the performance envelope. I thought I used to and have had a few big old crashes but I'm never happier than when I'm driving my VW bus. If I get 60 out of it, it's a good day.
UKTV: Has having kids mellowed you a bit?
AS: That hasn't really been anything to do with it to be honest. I got in a BMW the other day and I seemed to soon start breaking all the laws but it just didn't do very much for me. I used to do a lot of road testing so I've been round all the test tracks, all the race tracks - I've sort of done that and got it out of my system.
UKTV: Would you ever own a hybrid?
AS: It's not at the top of my agenda. I cycle and walk a lot and that's my bit for the environment.
UKTV: Fossil fuels and global warming are big issues these days. Where do you stand on them?
AS: It's an issue that was still big nine years ago when I was a road tester. I remember testing stuff that was here to save the planet. I'm behind it of course but if I've got a short journey to make, I either walk or I cycle. That's probably the best thing you can do, especially in our increasingly overweight nation. I think everyone should just get off their fat arses.
UKTV: Apart from cars, what else gets the blood racing?
AS: Music - decent guitar music from early 80s to the present day. I listen to XFM a lot as that seems to be the only thing that caters for my tastes. I'm 35 now and I still feel as passionate about music as I did when I was 14.
UKTV: And finally, you're leaving these shores for a year living in the Balkans. What's the motoring world like out there?
AS: Type 2 VW Transporters seem to be the vehicle of choice in the Balkans so I'm laughing.
Adrian Simpson presents Car Duels from 5th November 2006, only on UKTV People.
Having worked as a motoring journalist and road-tester for many years, Adrian's move into television has not just been confined to the world of motors with stints presenting Five's The Gadget Show and Sky One's So You Think You're Safe also forming part of his TV CV.
Adrian and his wife and kids are on the verge of moving to the Balkans for a year to work on a new house (he's also a keen property developer) and to xperience a break from London life but you can get an Adrian fix when his latest show, Car Duels, is broadcast only on UKTV People from 5th November.
UKTV: So, tell us all about Car Duels.
AS: In each show, two celebs come and do a, shall we say, alternative form of motor sport. They might think they're going to be going round Silverstone in a really fast car, but we send them round a banger track in something like a Robin Reliant.
UKTV: Sounds like a right laugh.
AS: It was pretty good fun actually. We had people like Sir Steve Redgrave, Rhona Cameron, DJ Spoony all getting involved. But the best guy of the lot was Stuart Hall. He's a legend and about one million times funnier in person than he is on the radio or on the telly.
UKTV: Cars have clearly been a great passion of yours for many years. How did the love affair start?
AS: My Dad was always into cars - not so much fast and furious cars, but he was really into Land Rovers. I think my love of cars grew out of my Dad working on different Land Rovers each week - as well as reading Exchange & Mart and poring over all the bargains in there.
UKTV: Land Rovers? Did you grow up on a posh farm or something?
AS: No, nothing like that. My Dad had built a two-ton fishing boat but we lived in London so he needed something to tow it. So he bought a series of Land Rovers to test them out and that's how he got into them.
UKTV: You started young then.
AS: Well it was probably even earlier than that. When I was 3, we were camping in Aberystwyth and they lost me. They eventually found me by a load of wrecked cars near the campsite. I was just sitting in a seat, surrounded by broken glass, pretending to drive. So I think that's when it all began.
UKTV: Must be great to now make a living from your big area of interest. How did your big break come about?
AS: I used to work in the City but I ended up really hating it. Then I met a guy who was a test driver for a car magazine - and I just thought that sounded like the perfect job. I like writing, I like media and I love cars so I just thought, why don't I go and do that? It was a really simple equation and at the time, I didn't think that hard about it. When I think back on it now, it sounds ridiculous! But that's what I did so I wrote off to loads of car magazines and then Top Gear gave me two weeks' work experience
UKTV: Ahh, good old Top Gear. Was that a big part of growing up for you?
AS: It was always a reference when I was young I guess so it was quite freaky to eventually become a presenter on the show.
UKTV: You moved over to Fifth Gear on Five after that. How's it been?
AS: It's been lovely working with the other presenters. Take Tiff Niddell. He's that guy off the telly and then suddenly, he's my work colleague, which was pretty weird at first. But he's a very normal, funny bloke. Vicki Butler-Henderson I've known since I was working in magazines so it was nice to work with her again. She's a top girl and she actually goes out with a good mate of mine and lives round the corner.
UKTV: You've probably driven hundreds of motors. What was your favourite car of the 20th century?
AS: That's such a difficult question. It's like asking what your favourite top 10 songs are. You're always going to upset a certain part of your brain but I have to say, it does change all the time. But I couldn't be more excited than when I look at a split-screen VW Bus. For me, it doesn't have to be about performance or power. I just think they have it all.
UKTV: We assume you have your own then.
AS: I've got a 20 year old VW Power Van because I think it looks amazing and drives so nicely. I just bought myself a 5-series VW Touring and after one week of having it, I'm going to sell it because I like driving the Power Van too much.
UKTV: What was the first car you owned? Land Rover by any chance?
AS: Yep. I'm a twin and when we were 17, my Dad bought us a Land Rover and I did that up and got it back on the road. People might say their first car was a pain in the arse to drive but this was a 2.5-litre petrol that did 16 miles to the gallon; massive agricultural rack on it and it was from 1965 so it was like a 40 year old tractor. It was hard work, I can tell you, but I loved the thing to bits. I drove it everywhere - Leeds, Newcastle, Reading, Exeter. It only had drum brakes on it as well so it didn't always stop when you needed it to.
UKTV: What's the worst car you've owned?
AS: I actually haven't owned any bad cars really. I drove my Land Rover pretty much until I went to Japan when I was young. Then I lived in London so I didn't need a car. Then I worked in car mags where I got free cars.
UKTV: Ok. But what's the worst car you've ever driven?
AS: By far, the Saab 9 3 convertible. Awful. Awful to look at, awful to drive, awful image, awful build-quality. Noisy, lumpy piece of shit.
UKTV: Blimey. How come they're so popular?
AS: Well, they're popular in the way that people think wearing white Versace jeans is a good idea. They think they look good but most people think they look like an idiot. And that's what I think people look like who drive Saab 93 convertible. It's basically an old Vauxhall Vectra with the roof cut off. Total tosser's car.
UKTV: We get the idea. We also get the impression that for you, character rather than speed gets you going these days.
AS: Increasingly, yeah. The older I get, the more I like character. Just enjoying the car rather than, ahem, "liking the bitch up" as they say. That might have been a good idea when I was younger but I'm not trying to kid anyone: I haven't got the skills to lick the performance envelope. I thought I used to and have had a few big old crashes but I'm never happier than when I'm driving my VW bus. If I get 60 out of it, it's a good day.
UKTV: Has having kids mellowed you a bit?
AS: That hasn't really been anything to do with it to be honest. I got in a BMW the other day and I seemed to soon start breaking all the laws but it just didn't do very much for me. I used to do a lot of road testing so I've been round all the test tracks, all the race tracks - I've sort of done that and got it out of my system.
UKTV: Would you ever own a hybrid?
AS: It's not at the top of my agenda. I cycle and walk a lot and that's my bit for the environment.
UKTV: Fossil fuels and global warming are big issues these days. Where do you stand on them?
AS: It's an issue that was still big nine years ago when I was a road tester. I remember testing stuff that was here to save the planet. I'm behind it of course but if I've got a short journey to make, I either walk or I cycle. That's probably the best thing you can do, especially in our increasingly overweight nation. I think everyone should just get off their fat arses.
UKTV: Apart from cars, what else gets the blood racing?
AS: Music - decent guitar music from early 80s to the present day. I listen to XFM a lot as that seems to be the only thing that caters for my tastes. I'm 35 now and I still feel as passionate about music as I did when I was 14.
UKTV: And finally, you're leaving these shores for a year living in the Balkans. What's the motoring world like out there?
AS: Type 2 VW Transporters seem to be the vehicle of choice in the Balkans so I'm laughing.
Adrian Simpson presents Car Duels from 5th November 2006, only on UKTV People.
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