Having completed his Ph.D. in particle physics at the University of Cambridge, he joined the BBC’s science department in 1990. His documentary about the world’s most notorious mathematical problem was nominated for an Emmy and won a BAFTA. In 1997 he wrote a book on the same subject, entitled Fermat’s Last Theorem, which was the first maths book to become a No.1 bestseller in Britain. In 1999 Simon published The Code Book, a history of codes and codebreaking, which also became an international best-seller. He presented a 5-part series on the history of cryptography for Channel 4, entitled The Science of Secrecy. His most recent book is The Simpsons and Their Mathematical Secrets.