John McCarthy (journalist)

John Patrick McCarthy CBE (born 27 November 1956) is a British journalist, writer and broadcaster, and one of the hostages in the Lebanon hostage crisis. He was kidnapped by Islamic Jihad terrorists in Lebanon in April 1986, and held hostage for more than five years. He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1992.

McCarthy was Britain's longest-held hostage in Lebanon, having spent over five years in captivity until his release on August 8, 1991. He shared a cell with the Irish hostage Brian Keenan, for several years.

Career

At the time of his capture, McCarthy was a journalist working for United Press International Television News. Following his release, he co-authored, with Jill Morrell, a memoir of his years in captivity, entitled Some Other Rainbow. In 1995 he sailed around the coast of Britain with Sandi Toksvig, making a BBC documentary TV series and a book of the experience. McCarthy attended university with Toksvig's brother, Nick. John McCarthy currently co-presents the BBC Radio 4 programme Excess Baggage, also with Sandi Toksvig.

Personal life

His former fiancée Jill Morrell had campaigned for his release and public expectations of a re-kindling of the romance between them were high. The couple wrote a book together about his ordeal, but later separated amicably in 1994. McCarthy married Anna Ottewill in April 1999. He attended Lochinver House School then Haileybury College, Hertfordshire, and read American Studies at the University of Hull. A Students' Union bar at the university is named after him.

Honors/Awards/Affiliations

He is Patron of the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture, and has been awarded an Honorary D.Litt from the University of Hull and the CBE

Media references

• The 1993 HBO film Hostages, starring Colin Firth as McCarthy, was a fictionalized account of the Lebanon hostage crisis.
• A critically acclaimed film version of the two men's kidnapping and incarceration was made in 2003. Titled Blind Flight, the British film was directed by John Furse starring Ian Hart as Keenan and Linus Roache as McCarthy.
• The Stiff Little Fingers song Beirut Moon was inspired by John McCarthy's ordeal. It criticized the government for not acting to free him and was subsequently withdrawn from sale.
• A major Sky Arts series, Art of Faith, presented by John McCarthy, was broadcast in 2008. The series, produced by Illuminations, was an exploration of the art and architecture of Islam, Christianity and Judaism. In 2009, production of a follow up series of Art of Faith began, featuring Buddhism, Hinduism and religions of the Tao.
• In the second episode of the Christmas special of the British comedy programme The Office, David Brent (played by Ricky Gervais) explains how he would like to be interviewed by Michael Parkinson. His agent then says that Parkinson only interviews people who have done things. To which Brent replies, referring to journalist John McCarthy: "He had that guy in Lebanon who spent years chained to a radiator, what did he do? Nothing! He was chained to a radiator!"
• In the "Father Ted" episode "The Plague" (Series 2, Episode 6), Father Ted remarks at Father Dougal's pet rabbit alone in his cage and says, "Ah, look at him there on his own without any other rabbits for company. He must feel like Brian Keenan after they took John McCarthy away to another cell."

Books

• Some Other Rainbow by John McCarthy and Jill Morrell (ISBN 0-563-39316-5)
• Between Extremes by Brian Keenan and John McCarthy (ISBN 0-552-14595-5)
• A Ghost Upon Your Path by John McCarthy (ISBN 0-593-04884-9)
• An Evil Cradling by Brian Keenan, (McCarthy is a main character) (ISBN 0-14-023641-4)

External links

• BBC: Beirut hostage John McCarthy freed
• John McCarthy Official Website Corporate Speaking
• Bio at Jeremy Hicks Associates