Simon Donald is a co-founder and was co-editor of the British comic magazine Viz until 2003. He set up the magazine in 1979 with his brother Chris in a bedroom in the family home in Newcastle. His most famous creation for the magazine is probably Sid the Sexist. After leaving Viz he wrote and presented on TV, then managed a NorthEast based indie band before moving into full-time stand-up comedy in November 2008.

Born Newcastle upon Tyne 1964. Schools: West Jesmond Infant School 1969-1973, West Jesmond Junior School 1973-1975, Heaton School (comprehensive) 1975-1980, Newcastle College of Arts & Technology 1981-1983. In 1976 Simon joined Newcastle’s People’s Theatre, training in theatre skills. He acted in several of the theatre’s ground breaking Young People’s Theatre productions He worked as assistant stage manager for the RSC on their People's Theatre visit in 1977. He also performed at the Guilbenkian Theatre. He left the People's in 1980. Between 1981-1983 Simon was singer and lyricist with comedy rock band Johnny Shiloe’s Movement Machine. The band comprised Dave Rose (music writing/ drums), Paul Rose (guitar) and Gary Shaw (bass). In 1981, he appeared in an episode of BBC2’s Something Else programme. In 1983 he co-wrote and appeared in an episode Sparks, also on BBC2. He specialised as an antagonist on Carlton TV’s live debate programmes in the early 1990s and moved on to play an important role in the BBC’s I Love series, and Channel 4’s 100 Greatest. He presented a self-penned film at the launch of BBC Choice (now BBC3), and did the same for a project by Carlton ‘The Great London Debate’. In 2004 he presented the Regionnaires, a six part north-east regional panel show broadcast on ITV Tyne Tees, which he co-wrote with his former Viz partner Alex Collier. In September 2005 he started performing his stand-up comedy routine, and began working the circuit on Tyneside and Wearside. In November 2005 he met Hungover Stuntmen and in 2006 joined their management team. He became their sole manager in 2007. The band recorded an album in Ibiza, played the Ibiza Rocks Festival two years running and appeared at Newcastle Arena with Paul Weller. His work with the band stopped when Simon became full-time carer for his eldest brother Steve, who was diagnosed with cancer in the summer of 2008 and passed away the following November. Simon returned immediately to stand-up comedy, beginning to appear on stage as the characters he had previously talked about in his routine. In the summer of 2009 he moved to London and is currently working the comedy circuit in the capital, as well as gigs around the United Kingdom, which this year included a three-week run at the Edinburgh Fringe. He is also writing his autobiography, which is due for release in the autumn of 2010, published by Tonto books.