John Patrick McCarthy (born 27 November 1956) is a British journalist, writer and broadcaster, and one of the hostages in the
Lebanon hostage crisis
The Lebanon hostage crisis was the kidnapping in Lebanon of 104 foreign hostages between 1982 and 1992, when the Lebanese Civil War was at its height. The hostages were mostly Americans and Western Europeans, but 21 national origins were represen ...
. McCarthy was the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
's longest-held hostage in
Lebanon
Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to Lebanon–Syria border, the north and east and Israel to Blue ...
, where he was a prisoner for more than five years.
Career
He attended Lochinver House School, then
Haileybury and Imperial Service College
Haileybury is a public school (English independent day and boarding school) near Hertford in England. It is a member of the Rugby Group and, though originally a major boys' public school in the Victorian era, it is now co-educational, enrol ...
, Hertfordshire, and read
American Studies
American studies or American civilization is an interdisciplinary field of scholarship that examines American literature, history, society, and culture. It traditionally incorporates literary criticism, historiography and critical theory.
Schol ...
at the
University of Hull
, mottoeng = Bearing the Torch f learning, established = 1927 – University College Hull1954 – university status
, type = Public
, endowment = £18.8 million (2016)
, budget = £190 million ...
.
McCarthy was a journalist working for
United Press International Television News
United Press International Television News, abbreviated as UPITN, was a television news agency, operating from 1967 to 1985. It was the successor to earlier UPI television news film operations United Press Movietone and United Press International N ...
at the time of his
kidnap
In criminal law, kidnapping is the unlawful confinement of a person against their will, often including transportation/asportation. The asportation and abduction element is typically but not necessarily conducted by means of force or fear: the p ...
by
Islamic Jihad terrorists in Lebanon. He had only recently arrived in Beirut when on 17 April 1986, two days after
US airstrikes on
Libya
Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Suda ...
, WTN ordered him to leave. He was being escorted to the airport when a group of gunmen intercepted his car. He was held in captivity until his release on 8 August 1991. He shared a cell with the Irish hostage
Brian Keenan for several years. While a prisoner, he learned that his girlfriend,
Jill Morrell, was actively campaigning for his release, launching a group called "Friends of John McCarthy".
By the time of McCarthy's release, his mother Sheila had died of cancer, unaware of his fate. Following his release, he co-authored, with Morrell, a memoir of his years in captivity, entitled ''
Some Other Rainbow''. Their relationship ended four years later, and he married Anna Ottewill, a photographer, on 16 April 1999. They have a daughter.
In 1995 John McCarthy sailed around the coast of Britain with
Sandi Toksvig
Sandra Birgitte Toksvig (; ; born 3 May 1958) is a Danish-British writer, comedian and broadcaster on British radio, stage and television. She is also a political activist, having co-founded the Women's Equality Party in 2015. She has written ...
, making a
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
documentary TV series and a book of the experience. McCarthy had attended university with Toksvig's brother, Nick. He co-presented the
'', also with Sandi Toksvig. On 29 March 2014, McCarthy hosted the ceremony for the "I Do To Equal Marriage" event which celebrated the introduction of
in England and Wales. Toksvig renewed her vows to her
at the event.
(formerly the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture), and has been awarded an honorary
. from his ''alma mater'', the
in 1992.
*The set of Series 1 of ''Drop the Dead Donkey'', first aired in 1990, included a copy of a "Wanted" poster with McCarthy's photograph released during the campaign on his behalf. It is displayed on the wall in the news room and is frequently in shot, but not mentioned in the programme.
*The 1993
.
*A critically acclaimed film version of his and Keenan's kidnapping and incarceration was made in 2003. Titled ''
as McCarthy.
*In 2006 McCarthy collaborated with the composer Adam Gorb and the librettist Ben Kaye to create ''Thoughts Scribbled on a Blank Wall'', an exploration of the mental torture he underwent during his long incarceration. Commissioned by JAM (John Armitage Memorial), the work premiered in Fleet Street to critical acclaim in 2007 and was described by BBC Radio 3's Sean Rafferty as "Powerful stuff. A protest Cantata, the first of a genre." ''Thoughts Scribbled on a Blank Wall'' was scheduled for CD release in 2011.
*The
song ''Beirut Moon'' was inspired by McCarthy's ordeal. It criticized the government for not acting to free him and was subsequently withdrawn from sale.