James O'Brien (broadcaster)

{{Infobox person

| name = James O'Brien

| image = James O’Brien (53996110046) (cropped).jpg

| imagesize =

| caption = O'Brien at the 2024 Chiswick Book Festival

| birth_name =

O'Brien

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=y|1972|01|13}}

| birth_place =

| occupation = Journalist, television and radio presenter, writer

| spouse = Lucy McDonald

| children = 2

| education = Ampleforth College

| alma_mater = London School of Economics

| known_for = LBC, Newsnight

}}

James O'Brien (born 1972) is a British journalist, writer, and presenter on radio and television. Since 2004, he has hosted a weekday morning phone-in discussion for talk station LBC. He has also presented podcasts, been an occasional presenter for BBC's Newsnight, and published several non-fiction books, including the bestselling How They Broke Britain in 2023.

Early life and education

James O'Brien was born in 1972{{cite interview |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/apr/01/james-obrien-lbc-brexit-can-live-with-centrist-dad|title=James O'Brien: 'I can live with 'centrist dad'. Liberal? Yeah. Do-gooder? I try'|website=The Guardian|first =James |last =O’Brien

|interviewer=Williams, Zoe|date=1 April 2019|access-date=13 January 2024|quote =born in 1972, he is now 47 }}{{cite interview|first =James |last =O’Brien |url=https://highprofiles.info/interview/james-obrien/|title=Interview with James O'Brien |website=High Profiles|accessdate=15 March 2023}} to a teenage single mother whose name he knows but whom he has never tried to contact.{{Cite web |last=Flynn |first=Paul |date=2018-11-01 |title=LBC's James O'Brien: meet the man behind the mic |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/lbcs-james-o-brien-meet-the-man-behind-the-mic-a3975576.html |access-date=2024-02-09 |website=Evening Standard |language=en}} He grew up in Kidderminster{{Cite news |last=Moshakis |first=Alex |date=25 October 2020 |title=James O'Brien: 'I Saw Everything as a Fight' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2020/oct/25/james-obrien-i-saw-everything-as-a-fight |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201026233005/https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2020/oct/25/james-obrien-i-saw-everything-as-a-fight |archive-date=26 October 2020 |access-date=20 January 2025 |work=The Observer}} after being adopted at the age of 28 days by Jim O'Brien, a journalist on the Doncaster Evening News{{Cite web |last=O'Brien |first=James |date=5 June 2019 |title=Dad Was on the Doncaster Evening News When I Was Born. He Would Have Enjoyed This. |url=https://x.com/mrjamesob/status/1136288830917660672?lang=en-GB |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250120165331/https://x.com/mrjamesob/status/1136288830917660672?lang=en-GB |archive-date=20 January 2025 |access-date=20 January 2025 |website=X}} (who later joined The Daily Telegraph) and his wife. O'Brien was raised in the Roman Catholic faith and refers to himself as a Christian.{{cite web |last1=O'Brien |first1=James |last2=Spanner |first2=Huw |date=1 January 2019 |title=Challenging Stuff and Nonsense |url=https://highprofiles.info/interview/james-obrien/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200927110515/https://highprofiles.info/interview/james-obrien/ |archive-date=27 September 2020 |access-date=2 November 2022 |website=High Profiles |quote= This interview was conducted for a profile that was published as the cover story of Church Times on 18 January 2019 }}

O'Brien was educated at the Catholic independent school Ampleforth College, from which he was expelled for smoking cannabis.{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2015/mar/24/james-obrien-lbc-talk-radio-host-nigel-farage-tv-show-itv |title=LBC's James O'Brien: 'You have to be a bit more sledgehammer than scalpel on TV' |last=Bland |first=Archie|author-link=Archie Bland|date=24 March 2015|website= The Guardian |access-date=26 March 2015}}{{cite web |url=https://www.lbc.co.uk/radio/presenters/james-obrien/james-obrien-being-expelled-from-school-for-smokin/ | title=James O'Brien: Being Expelled from School for Smoking Weed Nearly Ruined My Life }}

He later studied philosophy and economics at the London School of Economics, later saying that he was not a very attentive student, but that he had later realised and understood the importance of an education in philosophy.{{cite interview|first=James |last= O'Brien | interviewer-first=Ella | interviewer-last=Whiteley| title=How Not To Be Wrong: the art of changing your mind | website=London School of Economics and Political Science | url=https://www.lse.ac.uk/lse-player?id=e90e7422-361c-489f-ad57-3397e0a7acc0 | access-date=21 March 2025| format= audio (1 hr) + text }}

Career

=Journalism=

Prior to his broadcasting career, O'Brien was an editor of the Daily Express gossip column, written under the pseudonym William Hickey. He also wrote for the Daily Mail, Cosmopolitan, and The Spectator.{{Cite tweet |author=James O'Brien |author-link=James O'Brien (broadcaster) |user=mrjamesob |number=954334848096849920|date=19 Jan 2018 |title=… as the Daily Mail's former video games correspondent …}}{{Cite tweet |author=James O'Brien |author-link=James O'Brien (broadcaster) |user=mrjamesob |number=1344585996294356993|date=31 Dec 2020 |title=… as the Mail's former video games editor …}}

=Television=

From 2000 to 2002, O'Brien was a panellist on the Channel 5 programme The Wright Stuff. In early 2001, he presented A Knight with O'Brien,{{cite web|url=http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/series/34964 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121017232510/http://ftvdb.bfi.org.uk/sift/series/34964 |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 October 2012 |title=A Knight with O'Brien (TV series) | BFI |website=Ftvdb.bfi.org.uk |access-date=5 March 2017}} a talk show on Anglia Television.

With his wife, Lucy McDonald, he fronted Channel 5's 2001 general election talk show 5 Talk, securing a review from Clive James, who wrote: "James... is a pink-shirted walking encyclopedia of political savvy".{{cite news |url=http://news.independent.co.uk/media/article246414.ece |title=Clive James on (election) TV |work=The Independent |date=30 May 2001 |access-date=25 April 2009 }}{{dead link|date=August 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}{{cite book |last1=James |first1=Clive |title=The Meaning of Recognition : New Essays 2001-2005 |date=13 December 2012 |isbn=9780330527170 |page=152|publisher=Pan Macmillan }}

O'Brien began occasionally guest presenting on the BBC Two programme Newsnight in August 2014.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/mediamonkeyblog/2014/aug/03/media-monkeys-diary-tv-writers-eddie-mair|title=Media Monkey's Diary: TV writers, Eddie Mair, Gardeners' Question Time|work=The Guardian|date=3 August 2014|access-date=6 August 2014}}[https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/search/0/20?order=-last&filt=bbc_two&q=%22James+O%27Brien%22 James O'Brien appearances on BBC2], BBC Programme Index. Retrieved 2022-11-11{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/jan/08/james-obrien-radio-people-still-talk-lbc-presenter|title=James O'Brien: "On radio, people still talk like no one is listening"|newspaper=The Guardian|date=8 January 2017|access-date=8 February 2018}} Following the widespread interest in O'Brien's interview with Farage, it was speculated he would be a permanent replacement for longtime host Jeremy Paxman, who intended to step down.{{cite news |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/neilmidgley/2014/07/16/newsnights-race-to-succeed-jeremy-paxman-lbcs-james-obrien-gets-a-try-out/|title=Newsnight's Race To Succeed Jeremy Paxman: LBC's James O'Brien Gets A Try-Out|work=Forbes|date=16 July 2014|access-date=6 August 2014}} The job was ultimately taken by Evan Davis.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2015/mar/24/james-obrien-lbc-talk-radio-host-nigel-farage-tv-show-itv|title=LBC's James O'Brien: "You have to be a bit more sledgehammer than scalpel on TV"|newspaper=The Guardian|date=24 March 2015|access-date=9 February 2018}} O'Brien left Newsnight in January 2018 after being criticised for his anti-Brexit and anti-Trump views, which were felt to be out of step with the corporation's policy on neutrality. He departed on good terms, saying the BBC still had the finest selection of journalists in the world.{{cite news|url=http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/james-obrien-parts-ways-with-bbc-newsnight-rather-than-wind-neck-in-on-brexit-and-trump/|title=James O'Brien parts ways with BBC Newsnight rather than 'wind neck in' on Brexit and Trump|work=Press Gazette|date=22 January 2018|access-date=8 February 2018}}

In 2015, O'Brien presented a chat show for ITV called O'Brien, which aired for ten episodes.{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/tv-and-radio-reviews/11504724/OBrien-review-ITV-disappointing.html|title=O'Brien review, ITV: 'disappointing'|newspaper= Daily Telegraph |date=30 March 2015|access-date=8 February 2018}}

=LBC=

O'Brien first appeared on LBC during 2002 as a holiday cover presenter. His own weekly programme began in January 2003 and he became a full-time presenter in 2004.{{Cite news|last=Moshakis|first=Alex|date=2020-10-24|title=James O'Brien: 'I saw everything as a fight'|language=en-GB|work=The Observer|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2020/oct/25/james-obrien-i-saw-everything-as-a-fight|access-date=2020-11-03|issn=0029-7712}} Regular features of his show include the "Mystery Hour," in which listeners phone in with various things that puzzle them and other callers attempt to give a solution.{{cite web | work= LBC Radio Rocks | title = James O'Brien | url=http://www.lbcradiorocks.com/james-obrien.html | access-date = 25 April 2009 |archive-url= https://archive.today/20130128011042/http://www.lbcradiorocks.com/james-obrien.html |archive-date=2013-01-28 |url-status=dead}}

O'Brien made national headlines in April 2009 when footballer Frank Lampard phoned his show to object to tabloid stories about his private life and O'Brien's discussion of them. Lampard's former fiancée, Elen Rivas, had alleged that he had turned their home into a bachelor pad, while she and Lampard's children were living in a rented flat. Lampard phoned in, objecting to the assertion that he was "weak" and "scum" and said that he had fought "tooth and nail" to keep his family together.{{cite news | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/news/frank-lampards-call-to-lbc-the-full-transcript-1673885.html | title=Frank Lampard's call to LBC: The full transcript | work=The Independent | date=24 April 2009 | access-date=25 April 2009}} Public comments on Lampard's reaction praised his handling of the situation. The exchange later earned O'Brien, who defended his conduct in an equally heated exchange with Kay Burley on Sky News, a Bronze Award in the Best Interview category of the 2010 Sony Radio Academy Awards.{{cite news | url= http://www.radioawards.org/winners/2010/personality-awards/best-interview/ | title= Sony Radio Academy Awards 2010 – Best Interview Nominations | publisher= Radio Academy | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100914084333/http://www.radioawards.org/winners/2010/personality-awards/best-interview/ | archive-date= 14 September 2010 |url-status= dead }}

In 2013, O'Brien clashed with Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith in an argument over the Government's work programmes.{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/iain-duncan-smith-remembering-the-time-former-work-and-pensions-secretary-clashed-with-james-obrien-a6940831.html|title=Iain Duncan Smith: Remembering the time former Work and Pensions Secretary clashed with James O'Brien|newspaper=The Independent|date=19 March 2016|access-date=9 February 2018}} In May 2014, O'Brien interviewed UKIP leader Nigel Farage. During the interview, O'Brien picked up on Farage's comment that he felt uncomfortable on a train at not being able to hear anyone speaking English. Farage was also criticised by O'Brien for misinterpreting having English as a second language as being unable to speak English at all and for saying he would be concerned if a group of Romanian men moved in next door to him.{{cite news |date= 16 May 2014 |last=Wintour |first= Patrick |url= https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/may/16/nigel-farage-ukip-car-crash-radio-interview-lbc |title= Nigel Farage aide disrupts interview amid racism and expenses claims|newspaper= The Guardian |access-date=9 February 2018}} In October 2014, O'Brien breached broadcasting rules by his remarks during the Clacton by-election.{{cite web |title=Ofcom Broadcast Bulletin |url=https://www.ofcom.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0024/47652/obb269.pdf |website=Ofcom.org.uk |publisher=Ofcom}}

Throughout 2014 and 2015, O'Brien gave much air time and promotion to false claims of VIP sex abuse by the now discredited Exaro News website, which were based on testimony from Carl Beech, later sentenced to prison for perverting the course of justice and child sex offences,{{cite web |title=James O'Brien and the Carl Beech witch-hunt |url=https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/james-o-brien-and-the-carl-beech-witch-hunt/amp |website=Spectator.co.uk |publisher=The Spectator}}{{cite web |title=James O'Brien and the other VIP child sex abuse lies |url=https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/james-o-brien-and-the-other-vip-child-sex-abuse-lies/amp |website=Spectator.co.uk |publisher=The Spectator}} something O'Brien later expressed regret for on Twitter.{{cite tweet|number=1153572364791287808|user=mrjamesob|title=Hate the Carl Beech story. We gave his allegations against dead politicians a lot of coverage on the show & it turn… |date=23 July 2019}}

In August 2024, O'Brien apologised for praising a social media video that attributed some of the violence during the 2024 United Kingdom riots to "Zionist backers" during an LBC broadcast. He explained that he had not watched the video in full before commenting and described the remarks as "obnoxious and anti-Semitic."{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=LBC presenter apologises for praising video blaming 'Zionist backers' for far-right riots |url=https://www.thejc.com/news/uk/lbc-presenter-apologises-for-praising-video-blaming-zionist-backers-for-far-right-riots-o1sz0l90 |website=The Jewish Chronicle |date= |access-date=8 September 2024}}{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=LBC presenter apologises over 'obnoxious and antisemitic' Muslim Robinson video |url=https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/lbc-presenter-apologises-over-obnoxious-and-antisemitic-muslim-robinson-video/ |website=Jewish News |date= 6 August 2024|access-date=8 September 2024}}{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Is this summer of riots just the beginning? |url=https://antisemitism.org/is-this-summer-of-riots-just-the-beginning/ |website=Campaign Against Antisemitism |date= 21 August 2024|access-date=8 September 2024}}

=Podcast=

In October 2017, O'Brien began hosting a podcast at JOE.co.uk titled Unfiltered with James O'Brien,{{cite news |title=JOE is delighted to announce a new podcast series with James O'Brien |url=https://www.joe.co.uk/news/joe-is-delighted-to-announce-a-new-podcast-series-with-james-obrien-140788 |work=JOE.co.uk |language=en}} which ran until November 2018. Guests included Russell Brand, Alastair Campbell, Lily Allen, Jon Ronson, Gary Lineker, and Sir Nick Clegg.{{cite web |title=Unfiltered with James O'Brien Episode List |url=https://soundcloud.com/user-957591628 |website=Soundcloud |access-date=24 November 2019}}

A new podcast was started in March 2019 titled Full Disclosure with James O'Brien.{{cite web |title=James O'Brien's New Podcast, Full Disclosure |url=https://www.lbc.co.uk/radio/podcasts/james-obrien-podcast-full-disclosure-interview/ |website=LBC |access-date=21 June 2019}} The first guest to appear on this format was former Prime Minister Tony Blair.{{cite web|url=https://www.lbc.co.uk/radio/podcasts/full-disclosure-james-obrien/full-disclosure-with-james-obrien-tony-blair/|title=Full Disclosure with James O'Brien - Tony Blair|website=LBC|date=5 March 2019|accessdate=6 April 2023}} Other notable guests have included David Mitchell, Nicky Campbell, Margaret Atwood, Michael Morpurgo,{{cn|date=March 2025}} and Keir Starmer.{{Citation |title=James O'Brien meets Keir Starmer {{!}} LBC | date=25 August 2023 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ra0QsG6EihY |access-date=2024-02-09 |language=en}} Sir Ed Davey, the Leader of the Liberal Democrats was a guest in February 2024.{{Citation |title=Sir Ed Davey |date=2024-02-06 |url=https://player.fm/episodes/400009062 |access-date=2024-02-09 |language=en}}

=Books=

In 2015 he wrote the book Loathe Thy Neighbour, which examined attitudes towards immigration, and was published by Elliott & Thompson.{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2017/jan/08/james-obrien-radio-people-still-talk-lbc-presenter|title=James O'Brien: 'On radio, people still talk like no one is listening'|last=Adams|first=Tim|date=8 January 2017|work=The Observer|access-date=29 January 2019 |issn=0029-7712}}

In his 2018 book How To Be Right... in a World Gone Wrong, O'Brien offers his opinions on various current affairs. The book reached fifth position in The Sunday Times' Top 10 best sellers' list in December that year.{{cite news |url=https://www.thetimes.com/world/us-world/article/books-the-sunday-times-bestsellers-december-2-62wxfcw7k|title=Books: The Sunday Times Bestsellers, December 2|work=The Sunday Times|date=2 December 2018|access-date=4 April 2019}}

In 2023, his book How They Broke Britain was published by W. H Allen, which quickly became a bestseller.{{cite web | last=Cooke | first=Rachel | title=How They Broke Britain by James OBrien review – a catalogue of disasters | website=the Guardian | date=21 November 2023 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/nov/21/how-they-broke-britain-by-james-obrien-review-a-catalogue-of-disasters | access-date=21 March 2025}}

Political ideology

O'Brien has stated that he voted for Boris Johnson in the 2008 London mayoral election, though he later said he regretted his vote.{{cite tweet |number=1254782560648835074 |user=mrjamesob |title=I voted for Boris Johnson to be Mayor in 2008. (Obviously, I've changed my opinion of him since.) One cult tries to… |date=2020-04-27 |accessdate=2020-04-27 |language=en}} Politically, O'Brien said in 2017 that his views are 'liberal' rather than 'left-wing'.{{cite news |date=3 February 2017 |title=How James O'Brien became the conscience of liberal Britain |url=https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/tv-radio/2017/02/how-james-obrien-became-conscience-liberal-britain |access-date=2 August 2018 |work= New Statesman}}

In 2017 and 2018 he said that he was politically homeless, being against the British Left such as the Labour party under Jeremy Corbyn, but enjoys support from the liberal media of British politics e.g. the New Statesman and The Guardian.{{cite news |last=Lynskey |first=Dorian |date=3 February 2017 |title=How James O'Brien became the conscience of liberal Britain |url=https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/tv-radio/2017/02/how-james-obrien-became-conscience-liberal-britain |access-date=3 February 2017 |magazine=New Statesman}}{{cite news |author=Anne Karpf |date=28 January 2018 |title=We need to talk: why Britain loves radio phone-ins |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2018/jan/28/we-need-to-talk-why-britain-loves-radio-phone-ins |access-date=8 February 2018 |newspaper=The Guardian}}

He frequently discusses Brexit with callers who voted to leave the EU in the 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum,{{cite news |last=Oppenheim |first=Maya |date=11 July 2017 |title=James O'Brien demolishes Leave voter in farcical on-air standoff |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/james-o-brien-leave-voter-lbc-radio-on-air-live-brexit-brexiteer-argument-call-in-standoff-a7835011.html |access-date=27 November 2018 |newspaper=The Independent}} often claiming Leave voters had been deceived by the pro-Brexit campaigns to vote against their own interests.{{cite video |url=https://www.lbc.co.uk/radio/presenters/james-obrien/james-obriens-clash-with-caller-who-tried-to-defen/ |title=James O'Brien's clash with caller who tried to defend Brexit bus claim |date=6 December 2019 |publisher=LBC}} In 2023, O'Brien was ranked 38th in the New Statesman's "Left Power List 2023", with the publication describing him as a "liberal firebrand" and "master of the sound-bite".{{Cite web |last=Statesman |first=New |date=2023-05-17 |title=The New Statesman's left power list |url=https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-politics/2023/05/the-new-statesmans-left-power-list |access-date=2023-12-13 |website=New Statesman |language=en-US}}

Personal life

O'Brien is married to Lucy McDonald and has two daughters.{{cite web |date=3 February 2017 |author= Dorian Lynskey |title=How James O'Brien became the conscience of liberal Britain |work= New Statesman |url= https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/tv-radio/2017/02/how-james-obrien-became-conscience-liberal-britain |access-date= 22 September 2019 }} McDonald is a psychotherapist.

He is a Kidderminster Harriers F.C. fan.{{Cite web|url=https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2019/18-january/features/features/interview-with-james-o-brien-when-i-m-wrong-i-admit-it-and-that-makes-me-right|title=Interview with James O'Brien: 'When I'm wrong, I admit it. And that makes me right'| website= Church Times|last=Spanner|first=Huw|date=18 January 2019|access-date=9 September 2019| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241005120414/https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2019/18-january/features/features/interview-with-james-o-brien-when-i-m-wrong-i-admit-it-and-that-makes-me-right| archive-date= 5 October 2024}}

Publications

Loathe Thy Neighbour, 2015, Elliott and Thompson{{cite web | title=Loathe Thy Neighbour | website=Elliott & Thompson | date=12 February 2015 | url=https://eandtbooks.com/books/loathe-thy-neighbour/ | access-date=21 March 2025}}
How To Be Right... in a World gone Wrong, 2018, W. H. Allen{{Cite web|url=https://www.waterstones.com/book/how-to-be-right/james-obrien/9780753553121|title=How To Be Right by James O'Brien | Waterstones|website=www.waterstones.com}}
How Not To Be Wrong: The Art of Changing Your Mind, 2020, W. H. Allen{{cite web | title=How Not To Be Wrong by James O'Brien | website=Penguin Books Australia | date=20 July 2021 | url=https://www.penguin.com.au/books/how-not-to-be-wrong-9780753557716 | access-date=21 March 2025}}
How They Broke Britain, 2023, W. H. Allen{{cite web | title=How They Broke Britain by James O'Brien | website=Penguin Books Australia | date=2 June 2024 | url=https://www.penguin.com.au/books/how-they-broke-britain-9780753560365 | access-date=21 March 2025}}