John McCarthy
John McCarthy CBE is a British journalist, writer and broadcaster who speaks to organisations about resilience and coping under pressure, drawing on his experience of prolonged captivity.
- British journalist, writer and broadcaster.
- Kidnapped in Beirut while working for United Press International Television News and held hostage for more than five years.
- Appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).
- Author of memoir Some Other Rainbow and co-author of Between Extremes.
- Author of A Ghost Upon Your Path and You Can’t Hide the Sun: A Journey Through Palestine.
- Presenter and co-presenter of BBC television and BBC Radio 4 programmes, including Island Race and Excess Baggage.
Full Profile
Key speaking topics
- Personal resilience
- Coping under prolonged pressure
- Psychological impact of captivity
- Adaptation to change
- Decision-making in extreme circumstances
- Recovery and reintegration after crisis
Ideal for
- Senior leaders and executive teams
- Organisations navigating high-pressure environments
- Risk and crisis management audiences
- Conferences focused on resilience and leadership under pressure
Audience outcomes
- Insight into sustaining resilience during prolonged uncertainty
- Perspective on coping with isolation and loss of control
- Understanding of adaptation and reintegration after crisis
- Reflection on personal and organisational responses to extreme pressure
Why organisations work with John McCarthy
- First-hand experience of prolonged captivity and extreme uncertainty.
- Credible media and publishing background.
- Ability to connect lived experience to organisational resilience.
- Trusted public profile grounded in journalism and broadcast media.
Biography
John McCarthy CBE is a British journalist, writer and broadcaster whose experience and insight resonate strongly with senior leaders navigating uncertainty and sustained pressure.
He was kidnapped in Beirut while working for United Press International Television News and held hostage for more than five years. That prolonged period of captivity, and the realities of endurance, isolation and adaptation it required, now underpin the perspective he brings to organisational audiences.
Appointed a CBE in recognition of his public service, McCarthy has built a respected career in broadcast media. He has presented and co-presented BBC television and BBC Radio 4 programmes, including Island Race and Excess Baggage, bringing clarity and authority to complex human stories.
He is the author of the memoir Some Other Rainbow and co-author of Between Extremes, as well as A Ghost Upon Your Path and You Can’t Hide the Sun: A Journey Through Palestine. His work combines lived experience with thoughtful reflection on resilience, adaptation and life after crisis.
For corporate audiences, John McCarthy offers a grounded, first-hand understanding of coping under prolonged pressure and the long-term impact of extreme circumstances insight that is directly relevant to leaders responsible for guiding teams through uncertainty and change.