News - John McCarthy - Radio 4
Sunday will be a day to remember for John McCarthy, Brian Keenan, Terry Waite.
The former Beirut hostages will relive their experiences and rekindle friendships on BBC Radio 4 when presenter Sue MacGregor invites the Beirut hostages to join her for a programme from 11.15 until 12.00 called the Reunion -reuniting groups of people intimately involved in a moment of modern history.
John McCarthy was freed on August 8 1991 and was Britain’s longest-held captive in the Lebanon who was set free after more than five years. It is only in recent years he has told of the nightmare of those dark days when he frequently feared for his life and formed a close bond with fellow captive Brian Keenan.
Today he is one of UK’s top motivational and inspirational professional speakers talking at business events, specialist forums and Seminars. Audiences learn much from him about coping with the unexpected and handling dangerous and volatile situations with dignity and humour.
The popular BBC broadcaster was abducted in April 1986 and held by Islamic militants in tiny cells. Sometimes he was bound from head to foot in tape and transported to new locations with his cellmate Brian Keenan who was freed before him.
At the time of his release American hostages Terry Anderson, Tom Sutherland and Briton Terry Waite were still in captivity.
In Britain Jill Morrell, led a “Friends of John McCarthy” campaign to get him freed and together they wrote a bestselling book called Some Other Rainbow. She has also been invited to join the Reunion to explain what it was like for friends and family back at home.
She battled with the mandarins of the Foreign Office and encouraged a group of friends to campaign for John’s release and raise public awareness. She worked ceaselessly on the behalf of all the British hostages in the Middle East, until the extraordinary day in August 1991 when John McCarthy stepped down from an aeroplane at RAF Lyneham.
Jill has used her experience to good advantage and works for cancer charities in as a Policy and Public affairs advisor. She also helps cancer sufferers.
The Reunion recalls those times and explains what they have learned and what has happened since.
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