Paddy O'Connell

Guy Patrick Bennett O'Connell (born 11 March 1966), better known as Paddy O'Connell is a British television and radio presenter, working mainly for the BBC.

He presents BBC Radio 4's Broadcasting House programme each Sunday morning, and anchors BBC Two's business news programme Working Lunch every Friday. He's also a regular business news presenter on BBC Breakfast. Alongside all this, he commentates on the semi-finals of the annual Eurovision Song Contest.

Career

Patrick 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 Five Live at its launch in 1994, before moving to the USA to present BBC World Service's The World programme, also broadcast on WGBH, a radio station in Boston. Paddy has also presented and reported for a range of other radio stations across the world, including in Australia and Canada.

In 1997, Paddy became BBC News' North America Business Correspondent and Wall Street anchor, based in New York. He appeared regularly on BBC World, BBC News 24 and BBC One news bulletins reporting on and presenting business news. He was the main US-based anchor for the BBC's World Business Report programme, on BBC World and News 24, on which Paddy became well-known for his laid back but incisive style, and deadpan delivery.

He was in New York at the time of the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11th 2001 - he was actually due to attend a meeting inside the World Trade Center on that day. Paddy 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.

Paddy stayed in New York for a further 2 years following the 9/11 attacks, but having witnessed terrorist attacks and the ups and downs of Wall Street he chose to leave the US, 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 Paddy to mix his vast business knowledge with his interest in all things showbiz. 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 a main anchor on the offbeat current affairs show BBC Three News.

Alongside these BBC commitments, Paddy was also a regular presenter on London's LBC 97.3 radio station.

Current TV and Radio work

Paddy currently works on a wide range of BBC TV and radio programmes. He presents the weekly BBC Radio 4 irreverent Sunday morning news review strand, 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 TV, Paddy is a presenter of the daily BBC Two business news programme Working Lunch - he anchors the show every Friday and occasionally at other times, presenting alongside Adam Shaw or Nik Wood. He joined the programme in 2003, and since then he's produced a number of special reports alongside his presenting duties.

He appears regularly on BBC Breakfast, presenting the programme's business news segments from the London Stock Exchange, filling in for regular business reporter Declan Curry.

As well as news and business programmes, Paddy continues to dabble in light entertainment programming. Since 2004, he has commentated on the Eurovision Song Contest semi-finals on BBC Three. He also presents various behind-the-scenes segments at the main final of the contest, shown on BBC Three and BBCi.

Education

Paddy O'Connell was educated at Gresham's School, a boys' independent school in the small town of Holt, Norfolk, in England, and at the University of Aberdeen in the city of Aberdeen, in Scotland.

Trivia

Paddy is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. He was once listed as one of the top 40 gay men on TV by Attitude magazine.

Further information

Biography from BBC Press Office
Working Lunch profile
Broadcasting House website
Media Guardian interview - Paddy O'Connell [http://www.vivienneclore.com/articles/Patrick_701828_60.html Biography on agent's website}