Paddy O'Connell

Guy Patrick "Paddy" O'Connell (born 11 March 1966, in Guildford, Surrey) is an English television and radio presenter. He presents BBC Radio 4's '' Broadcasting House'' programme and '' Newsnight''. He is also an occasional presenter of the '' PM'' programme. O'Connell is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

Early life and education

O'Connell was born on 11 March 1966, in Guildford, Surrey. He was educated at Gresham's School in Norfolk, and the University of Aberdeen, where he studied political science.

Career

O'Connell began his broadcasting career in 1989 on the BBC's local radio trainee scheme, leading to five years spent as a BBC local radio reporter in Devon, Essex and Cleveland. He then joined BBC Radio 5 Live at its launch in 1994, before moving to the United States to present BBC World Service's programme ''The World''. He has also presented and reported for a range of other radio stations across the world, including in Australia and Canada.

In 1997 O'Connell became BBC News's North America Business Correspondent and Wall Street anchor, based in New York City. He appeared regularly on BBC World, BBC News 24 and BBC One news bulletins, reporting on and presenting business news. Alongside Richard Quest, he was the U.S.-based anchor for the BBC's programme '' World Business Report'' on BBC World and BBC News 24, on which he became well known for his relaxed but incisive style, and his deadpan delivery.

O'Connell was in New York City at the time of the September 11, 2001 attacks, and was due to attend a meeting inside the World Trade Center on that day. He reported from the scene of the attacks just hours later, interviewing survivors in the aftermath, and anchored the BBC's coverage from the scene that evening.

He stayed in New York for a further two years but left the United States, and the BBC, in 2003. He then did a variety of freelance work, including a wide range of work for the BBC. He fronted a wide range of news and entertainment shows on the corporation's youth-orientated digital channel BBC Three. He presented '' Celebdaq'', a show based around a celebrity stock exchange, allowing O'Connell to mix his vast business knowledge with his interest in showbusiness. He also worked on '' Liquid News'', replacing the late Christopher Price as its main presenter; presented the one-off '' Flashmob – The Opera''; and was a main anchor on the BBC's offbeat evening news bulletin '' The 7 O'Clock News''.

O'Connell was one of the main presenters on the daily BBC Two business news programme '' Working Lunch'', and anchored the show every Friday and occasionally at other times, presenting alongside Adam Shaw or Nik Wood. He joined the programme in 2003 and produced a number of special reports alongside his presentation duties. He left the programme on 26 September 2008, ahead of its relaunch with new presenters. He also appeared regularly on '' BBC Breakfast'', presenting the programme's business news segments from the London Stock Exchange, filling in for regular business reporter Declan Curry.

He presented the weekday evening TV quiz show '' Battle of the Brains'' on BBC Two, before being replaced by Nicky Campbell.

O'Connell has been a regular presenter on the London radio station LBC 97.3.

Current TV and radio work

O'Connell currently works on a wide range of BBC radio and TV programmes. He presents the weekly BBC Radio 4 Sunday morning news programme, '' Broadcasting House''. He joined the programme full-time in 2006, having previously covered for its former presenter Fi Glover while she was on maternity leave.

On an episode of ''Broadcasting House'' in March 2013 O'Connell was so moved by the journalist Emilie Blachère's reading of her poem "A Love Letter from Emilie Blachère to Rémi Ochlik" that he was unable to continue and the programme fell silent for over ten seconds. Blachère read her poem on the first anniversary of the death of the photo-journalist Rémi Ochlik, her partner, who died with the veteran war correspondent Marie Colvin during the Syrian Civil War in 2012.

From 2004 he commentated on the '' Eurovision Song Contest ''semi-finals on BBC Three. He also presented various behind-the-scenes segments at the main final of the contest, shown on BBC Three. In 2010 O'Connell took part in a Eurovision edition of '' PopMaster'' on the '' Ken Bruce Show'' on BBC Radio 2, losing to John Kennedy O'Connor. He was again a contestant on 17 May 2013, winning the contest against Ken Bruce, with John Kennedy O'Connor as question master. On 17 March 2011, he announced via Twitter that he had been replaced as a commentator for the Eurovision semi-finals as the BBC "refreshed" its Eurovision team. He appeared in the 2011 documentary '' The Secret History of Eurovision''. In 2017 he appeared alongside Ken Bruce on Radio 2's coverage of the Eurovision Song Contest final and in recent years he has often been heard in conversation with Ken Bruce during Radio 2's Eurovision Song Contest coverage. In 2023, after Bruce's departure from Radio 2, he was announced as part of their Eurovision lineup, hosting the two semi-finals for the station.

In 2016 he presented a series on BBC Radio 4, ''Travels with Bob'', in which he visited various places in Britain with his border terrier.

In 2023 he joined the '' Newscast (podcast)'' team, mostly at weekends alongside Laura Kuenssberg.

In November 2024, O'Connell started presenting '' Newsnight'' on BBC Two, before becoming a permanent presenter of the programme the following May. He presents the programme each Thursday night.

He is also an occasional presenter of the '' PM'' programme.

He also regularly chairs the First Wednesday discussions hosted by the Frontline Club in West London, in which experts and key figures debate current geopolitical events happening around the world.

Personal life

O'Connell is gay and is an ambassador for the charity Stonewall.

References

External links

*

''Broadcasting House''
(BBC Radio 4)

Agent's webpage

{{DEFAULTSORT:Oconnell, Paddy
1966 births
BBC newsreaders and journalists
BBC World News
BBC World Service people
English gay men
English LGBTQ broadcasters
English LGBTQ journalists
English television presenters
Gay journalists
Living people
People educated at Gresham's School
Alumni of the University of Aberdeen
Television presenters from Guildford