Paul McKenna
{{short description|British hypnotist and TV personality (born 1963)}}
{{about|the British self-improvement author and television broadcaster}}{{EngvarB|date=November 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2018}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Paul McKenna
| image = Paul McKenna at The Best You Expo 2018.png
| image_size =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1963|11|8}}
| birth_place = Enfield, London, England
| death_date =
| death_place =
| occupation = Hypnotist, writer, television & radio broadcaster
| known_for = Hypnosis
| spouse =
| website = {{URL|paulmckenna.com/}}
}}
{{Neuro-linguistic programming|expanded=practitioners}}
Paul McKenna (born 8 November 1963){{cite book |title=Contemporary Authors |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/contemporaryauth0000unse_s0m6/page/240/mode/2up |chapter=Paul McKenna|volume=338|date=2013 |publisher=Gale |location=Detroit |isbn=978-1-4144-9727-3 |pages=240–242 }} is a British hypnotist, behavioural scientist, television and radio broadcaster and author of self-help books.
McKenna has hosted self-improvement television shows and presents seminars in hypnosis, neuro-linguistic programming, weight loss, motivation, the Zen meditation Big Mind, Amygdala Depotentiation Therapy (ADT) and the Havening techniques.{{Cite web |title=Can The New Havening Technique Really Cure Trauma and Fear? {{!}} Psychology Today |url=https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/brain-myths/201305/can-the-new-havening-technique-really-cure-trauma-and-fear |access-date=2025-05-23 |website=www.psychologytoday.com |language=en-US}}
Early life
McKenna was born in Enfield, London to a builder and a home economics teacher. He attended St Ignatius College.{{cite news |last=Norman|first=Neil|title=Paul McKenna: The eyes have it |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/paul-mckenna-the-eyes-have-it-6095218.html |access-date=20 February 2023 |work=The Independent |date=15 July 2006 |language=en}}{{cite news |last=Wignall |first=Alice |title=The hypnotist |url=https://www.theguardian.com/education/2004/nov/02/myfavouritelesson.schools |access-date=20 February 2023 |work=The Guardian |date=2 November 2004}} He was routinely bullied by his teachers for his dyslexia.{{cite news |last1=Day |first1=Elizabeth |title=How I healed my inner nerd |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/3641487/How-I-healed-my-inner-nerd.html |access-date=20 February 2023 |work=www.telegraph.co.uk |date=4 May 2005}}
Career
=Radio and television=
McKenna started working in Radio Top Shop aged 16, and went on to present for stations including Radio Caroline and Capital London.
After two years presenting at BBC Radio 1 in the early 1990s, McKenna hosted a number of TV programmes, including The Hypnotic World of Paul McKenna (1993–97), The Paranormal World of Paul McKenna (1996–97) and Hyp the Streets (1999). He won the Television and Radio Industries Club Award for Best TV Newcomer in 1994.{{Cite web |last= |date=2003-10-10 |title=From small-time radio DJ to TV star attracting millions of viewers around the world |url=http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/small-time-radio-dj-tv-star-2464537 |access-date=2024-01-12 |website=Wales Online |language=en}} During this time, he continued his studies of hypnosis and neuro-linguistic programming (NLP) with Richard Bandler, the co-creator of NLP.{{citation needed|date=December 2018}}
McKenna appeared on series 4, episode 2 of Top Gear to hypnotise presenter Richard Hammond in 2004. In October 2009 he was a guest on Private Passions, a music discussion programme on BBC Radio 3.{{cite web |date=11 October 2009 |title=Private Passions: Paul McKenna |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00n6ths |access-date=4 February 2014 |publisher=BBC Radio 3 |type=programme listing}}
From February 2014 to September 2015, McKenna hosted a talk show called McKenna, broadcast on Hulu and featuring "non-journalistic" interviews with Simon Cowell, Ryan Seacrest, Roger Moore, Rachael Ray, Tony Robbins and Richard Dawkins.{{cite news |last=Stadlen |first=Matthew |date=2015-01-26 |title=Paul McKenna's spreadsheet of destiny |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/11364836/McKennas-spreadsheet-of-destiny.html |work=The Daily Telegraph}}{{cite web |date=20 April 2014 |title=Media Monkey's Diary: BBC, Tony Gallagher, Ipso and Zai Bennett |url=https://www.theguardian.com/media/mediamonkeyblog/2014/apr/20/bbc-tony-gallagher-ipso-zai-bennett |website=The Guardian}}{{Cite web |title=Paul McKenna, Ph.D. |url=https://www.hayhouse.co.uk/authorbio/paul-mckenna-ph-d |website=Hay House Publishing}}{{cite web |last1=Fernando |first1=Aneya |date=24 July 2014 |title=Paul McKenna on What Makes a Great Interviewer |url=https://www.adweek.com/performance-marketing/paul-mckenna-on-what-makes-a-great-interviewer/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160803173339/http://www.adweek.com/fishbowlny/paul-mckenna-on-what-makes-a-great-interviewer/221820 |archive-date=3 August 2016 |access-date=2024-01-12 |website=Adweek |publisher=}}
= Hypnosis =
He became interested in hypnotism as a result of a guest who appeared on his show.{{Cite news |last=Jones |first=Alice |date=7 January 2016 |title=Paul McKenna is launching a new book on the psychology of influence |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/paul-mckenna-interview-the-celebrity-hypnotist-is-launching-a-new-book-on-the-psychology-of-a6801446.html |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220525/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/paul-mckenna-interview-the-celebrity-hypnotist-is-launching-a-new-book-on-the-psychology-of-a6801446.html |archive-date=25 May 2022 |access-date=12 January 2024 |work=The Independent |language=en-GB}} He was taught hypnosis by Richard Bandler, with whom he continued to work closely for many years. While working at Capital Radio, McKenna began experimenting with small hypnosis shows in pubs and clubs, UK military bases and university events. He then starred in a regular Sunday night show at the Duke of York's Theatre, which was owned at the time by Capital Radio. The success of those shows led to his playing other theatres across the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, the US, Australia and Hong Kong.{{cite web |last=Vernon |first=Polly |date=12 December 2004 |title=Look in to my eyes |url=https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2004/dec/12/features.magazine67 |access-date=12 January 2024 |website=The Observer |publisher=The Guardian |type=Interview with Paul McKenna}}
=Research=
In 1996, McKenna was granted a PhD from LaSalle University in Louisiana. It was legally licensed by the state, but it falsely claimed to be an accredited institution. The school exempted McKenna from coursework based on his prior work, and his dissertation was producing a series of self-help tapes that eventually became a book, Change Your Life in Seven Days.{{Cite news |last=Addley |first=Esther |date=2006-07-11 |title=McKenna sues journalist over 'bogus' PhD claim |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2006/jul/12/estheraddley.uknews2 |access-date=2023-02-10 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}
Discovery of this lack of accreditation prompted McKenna to obtain another PhD in 2003 from Revans University,{{cite news |last1=Blau |first1=Rosie |date=16 November 2007 |title=I'm not a guru, I'm not a Svengali |url=https://www.ft.com/content/ac785c90-93f9-11dc-acd0-0000779fd2ac |access-date=20 February 2023 |work=Financial Times}} the degree-awarding body for the International Management Centres Association (IMCA).{{efn|The IMCA was accredited at the time of McKenna’s study through the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC) and British Accreditation Council. As of 2005 it no longer has either status, affecting degrees awarded from 2005 onwards.{{cite web |title=Cyber university's credibility in question - News - TES |url=http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=6003546 |website=tes.co.uk |access-date=24 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202190634/http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=6003546 |archive-date=2 February 2014 |date=10 October 2008}}}} The title of his thesis was "The Effects of Fixed Action Patterns and Neuro-Linguistic Programming in Determining Outcomes in Human Behaviour".{{cite web |last1=Flintoff |first1=John-Paul |date=30 July 2006 |title=Repeat after me . . . I am not dodgy |url=https://www.thetimes.com/best-law-firms/profile-legal/article/repeat-after-me-i-am-not-dodgy-tdx5frcth07 |access-date=24 April 2024 |website=The Times |language=en}}
McKenna specialises in post-traumatic stress disorder, severe trauma, pain control and emotional overwhelm.{{cite web |last=Iley |first=Chrissy |date=15 January 2012 |title=Paul McKenna: 'I'm not built for relationships' |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/9010562/Paul-McKenna-Im-not-built-for-relationships.html |work=The Daily Telegraph}}{{cite web |author=Moore |first=James |date=13 May 2013 |title=Paul McKenna: I can make you better |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/features/paul-mckenna-i-can-make-you-better-8614417.html |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220525/https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/features/paul-mckenna-i-can-make-you-better-8614417.html |archive-date=25 May 2022 |work=The Independent}}
=Self-help=
McKenna is the author of self-help and personal development books.
He has practiced one-to-one hypnotherapy on celebrity clients. He helped Daryl Hannah cope with stage fright when she starred in The Seven Year Itch.{{cite web |date=2000-10-09 |title=Daryl makes stage splash |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/963670.stm |access-date=2024-01-12 |website=BBC News}} According to one of McKenna's books, Rob Brydon claimed that McKenna helped alleviate his fear of flying, Stephen Fry advocated for McKenna's weight loss strategies and David Walliams used McKenna to help with his swim across the English Channel.
McKenna focuses on teaching people how to "deprogramme" their sugar cravings, claiming "sugar is the most dangerous drug in the world".{{cite web |last=Dunbar |first=Polly |date=22 January 2017 |title=Can Paul McKenna Fix YOUR Sugar Addiction? |url=https://www.womanandhome.com/health-and-wellbeing/can-paul-mckenna-fix-your-sugar-addiction-88676/ |work=Woman & Home}}
Libel lawsuits
=''Daily Star'' & ''National Enquirer''=
In 1999, McKenna successfully sued both the Daily Star and National Enquirer for libel after they published articles that alleged he had damaged the mental health of a man whom he hypnotised in one of his shows.{{cite news |date=1999-05-21 |title=McKenna wins six-figure libel |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/349627.stm |work=BBC News}} Both lawsuits resulted in six-figure settlements. The man involved had sued McKenna in a previous trial, but the judge dismissed the suit after concluding that there was no evidence that McKenna's stage hypnosis posed any risk to those taking part.{{cite news |last=Finn |first=Gary |date=14 August 1998 |title=Hypnotist cleared over schizophrenia |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/hypnotist-cleared-over-schizophrenia-1171659.html |access-date=12 January 2024 |work=The Independent |language=en}}
=''Daily Mirror''=
In 2006, McKenna successfully sued the Daily Mirror for libel over claims made by former TV critic Victor Lewis-Smith that McKenna's qualification from LaSalle was a purchased "bogus degree" bought with the intention of deliberately defrauding the public.{{cite web |date=11 July 2006 |title=Hypnotist McKenna sues over degree claim |url=https://www.scotsman.com/news/uk-news/hypnotist-mckenna-sues-over-degree-claim-2510484 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120719205508/http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=1008282006 |archive-date=19 July 2012 |access-date=12 January 2024 |website=The Scotsman |publisher=}} McKenna won the case, and the newspaper was ordered to pay £75,000 in costs. The judge, Justice Eady, said that while the scholarly characterisation of the degree was "another matter", McKenna did not believe the degree was "bogus or that he [had] misled anyone in allowing himself to be referred to as a PhD."{{cite news |date=28 July 2006 |title=McKenna wins 'fake degree' case |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/5223454.stm |access-date=12 January 2024 |work=BBC News}}
Published works
{{div col|colwidth=48em}}
- Success for Life: The Secret to Achieving Your True Potential, Headline Publishing Group: 2024 {{ISBN|9781802797886}}
- Freedom from Anxiety, Welbeck: 2023 {{ISBN|978-1-80279-550-9}}
- Control Stress, Hay House 2017 {{ISBN|978-1-401-94913-6}}
- Supercharge Your Intelligence Today!, Hay House 2017 {{ISBN|978-1-401-94897-9}}
- Get Control of Sugar Now!, Hay House 2017 {{ISBN|978-0-593-07568-5}}
- The 3 Things That Will Change Your Destiny Today!, Hay House 2016 {{ISBN|978-1-401-94909-9}}
- Freedom from Emotional Eating, Hay House 2015 {{ISBN|978-1-401-94895-5}}
- Instant Influence and Charisma, Transworld 2015 {{ISBN|978-0-593-07566-1}}
- Hypnotic Gastric Band, Bantam Press 2013 {{ISBN|978-0-593-07074-1}}
- I Can Make You Smarter, Bantam Press 2012 {{ISBN|978-0-593-06405-4}}
- I Can Make You Happy, Bantam Press: 2011 {{ISBN|978-0-593-06404-7}}
- Change Your Life in Seven Days updated version, Bantam Press: 2010 {{ISBN|978-0-593-06661-4}}
- I Can Make You Confident, Sterling Publishing: 2010. {{ISBN|1-4027-6922-9}}
- I Can Make You Sleep, Bantam Press: 2009 {{ISBN|1-4027-6574-6}}
- Control Stress Stop Worrying and Feel Good Now!, Bantam Press: 2009 {{ISBN|978-0-593-05629-5}}
- I Can Make You Rich, Bantam Press: 2007 {{ISBN|0-593-05537-3}}
- Quit Smoking Today Without Gaining Weight, Bantam Press: 2007 {{ISBN|0-593-05536-5}}
- Instant Confidence, Bantam Press: 2006 {{ISBN|0-593-05535-7}}
- I Can Make You Thin 90-Day Success Journal, Bantam Press: 2006 {{ISBN|978-0-593-05056-9}}
- I Can Make You Thin, Bantam Press: 2005 {{ISBN|0-593-05054-1}}
- Change Your Life in Seven Days, 2005 {{ISBN|0-593-05053-3}}
- How to Mend Your Broken Heart, (with Hugh Willbourn) Bantam Press: 2003 {{ISBN|0-593-05055-X}}
- The Power to Influence, Nightingale-Conant: 1998 {{ISBN|1-905453-56-6}} (audiobook with Michael Breen)
- The Paranormal World of Paul McKenna, Faber and Faber: 1997 {{ISBN|0-571-19245-9}}
- Paul McKenna's Hypnotic Secrets, Boxtree: 1995 {{ISBN|0-7522-0192-1}} (with Peter Willis and Clare Staples)
- Hypno Slim, Sunday Books: 1994 {{ISBN|978-1-898-88501-6}}
- The Hypnotic World of Paul McKenna, Faber and Faber: 1994 {{ISBN|0-571-16802-7}}
{{div col end}}
Notes
{{Notelist}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|http://www.paulmckenna.com}}
- {{IMDb name|0571408}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:McKenna, Paul}}
Category:English radio presenters
Category:English television presenters
Category:Neuro-linguistic programming writers
Category:People educated at St Ignatius' College, Enfield
Category:People from Enfield, London
Category:Offshore radio broadcasters
Category:People from Hackney Central
Category:Writers with dyslexia