Julian Lanus Simmons (born 27 March 1952) is a Northern Irish broadcaster, best known for his work as a long-serving continuity announcer on UTV.

[5][6] Simmons' career in broadcasting began when he appeared in amateur drama productions in Belfast while working for Air Canada at their offices in the city.

So I sent my letter in, and duly arrived up at Havelock House, with amateur tapes that I had made of comedy sketches that I was performing in my kitchen, and bathroom, and bedroom... and I presented those and they listened to them and said, 'Yes, those are quite funny, but there's no opening for that sort of thing here at the moment.

[7] When he started working at UTV, Simmons' job involved reading news and sports bulletins as well as introducing the channel's programmes, but he felt uneasy with newsreading.

"[3] Initially working as a freelancer at the Havelock House studios in Belfast, Simmons joined the station's presentation department as a staffer in 1992, shortly before a major on-air rebrand from Ulster Television to UTV.

Between 2003 and 2015, Simmons also presented 'Santa Flash' announcements on Christmas Eve, where he gave his own account of Santa Claus' journey from the North Pole, traditionally stating that he was going to land in Ireland first.

[13] In April 2020, UTV abandoned local continuity, initially as a temporary measure, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on staff at the station's Belfast studios.