Gary O’Donoghue Bio, Age, Height, Wife, Salary, Net Worth BBC News
Gary O’Donoghue is the soft-spoken Yorkshireman who has spent 30+ years proving you don’t need sight to see the big picture. The first blind foreign correspondent the BBC has ever posted overseas, he’s covered four U.S. presidents, two impeachments and was lying on the grass at the Trump assassination-attempt rally filing live updates. In March 2025 he was promoted to Chief North America Correspondent – a landmark moment for disability representation in global journalism .
Quick Facts
| Full Name | Gary O’Donoghue |
| Profession | Chief North America Correspondent, BBC News |
| Birth Year | 1968 |
| Age (2025) | 57 |
| Birth Place | London, England |
| Nationality | British |
| Known For | Blind BBC political reporter; Trump-rally eyewitness; Gulf-of-America row |
| Ethnicity | Caucasian (English) |
| Zodiac | Capricorn (est.) |
| Height | 5′ 10″ (est.) |
| Weight | 175 lb (est.) |
| Hair Color | Salt-and-pepper |
| Eye Color | Brown (blind since age 8) |
| Education | Philosophy & Modern Languages, Christ Church, Oxford |
| Religion | Christian (CofE) |
| Marital Status | Married to Sarah Lewthwaite |
| Children | 1 daughter |
| Hobbies | Blind football (former England player), single-malt whisky, Yorkshire cricket |
| Current Work | Chief North America Correspondent, BBC News (Washington, D.C.) |
| Years Active | 1990–present |
| Net Worth 2025 | ≈ $1 million (BBC salary + speaking + book advance) |
Early Life & Education
Born partially sighted in London, 1968, Gary lost all vision by age 8 after a degenerative eye condition progressed . His father drove taxis and played semi-pro football; his mother taught ballroom dancing. He boarded at Worcester College for the Blind, where he captained the England blind football team before reading Philosophy & Modern Languages at Christ Church, Oxford—the first blind student the college had enrolled .
Career Journey
1990-2000 – BBC Radio Roots
- Junior reporter on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme; once bungee-jumped off Chelsea Bridge for a story .
- Covered Labour’s 1997 landslide, filing live from Downing Street.
2001-2010 – Westminster Insider
- BBC political correspondent; broke 2007 story that Gordon Brown was rushing back from holiday to handle foot-and-mouth outbreak .
- Disability-discrimination victory: BBC paid him a five-figure settlement after editors pulled him off TV because he was blind .
2011-2024 – Washington Power Player
- Chief political correspondent, BBC Radio 4 (Today & PM).
- October 2014: posted to Washington, D.C. as BBC North America correspondent—first blind foreign correspondent in BBC history .
- Covered Trump 1.0, Biden term, two impeachments, 6 Jan Capitol attack, COVID-19 lockdowns.
2024-2025 – Assassination Attempt & Promotion
- 13 July 2024: on the grass at Butler, PA rally when Trump was shot; filed live audio while lying flat, later interviewed eyewitness who saw gunman on roof .
- March 2025: promoted to Chief North America Correspondent .
Personal Life
Married to Sarah Lewthwaite, an accessibility academic; they live in Yorkshire when not posted stateside and have one daughter who loves describing visual details for her dad. Gary plays blind cricket for Yorkshire and keeps a collection of single-malt whiskies from every U.S. state he’s reported in.
Awards & Achievements
- Royal Television Society – Reporter of the Year finalist (2016)
- National Union of Journalists – Equality Award (2008)
- University of West London – Honorary Doctorate (2023)
- 2025: First blind journalist to hold title BBC Chief North America Correspondent
Physical Statistics
| Height | 5′ 10″ (est.) |
| Weight | 175 lb (est.) |
| Shoe | 10 UK |
| Guide-Dog | “Quinn” (black Labrador, retired 2023) |
| Current Aid | White cane + screen-reader tech |
Quotes
“I wake up every day reminding myself how lucky I’ve been to be in work—because it’s not like that for everyone.”
“The White House press room is still largely two-dimensional for me, but the questions are the same: who, what, when, where—and why should anyone care?”
“When the shots rang out in Butler, I knew exactly what they were. My job was to stay calm and get the facts out.”
Controversies
- 2008 disability-discrimination case: BBC paid undisclosed five-figure sum after bosses removed him from TV bulletins, claiming “viewers might find a blind presenter distracting” .
- 2025 Gulf-of-America row: on-air he refused to use Trump’s re-brand, saying “geography shouldn’t be political”—sparked viewer complaints but BBC backed his editorial stance .
Favorites
| Category | Choice |
|---|---|
| Whisky | Lagavulin 16 (Islay) |
| Cricket Team | Yorkshire Vikings |
| U.S. City | Washington D.C. (for news), Savannah (for downtime) |
| Screen-Reader | JAWS & iPhone VoiceOver |
| Interview | Barack Obama, Oval Office 2016 |
| Relaxation | Blind cricket batting practice |
Salary & Net Worth 2025
- BBC base salary (Chief Correspondent): ≈ £220 k ($275 k)
- Speaking fees & university lectures: $40 k
- Book advance (memoir due 2026): $100 k
- Real estate (Yorkshire cottage + DC rental): $350 k equity
- Estimated Net Worth: $1 million
Interesting Facts
- Played blind football for England as a teenager—still holds unbeaten penalty record at Worcester College.
- Keeps a “sound diary” of every city: NYC subway chimes, Savannah cicadas, Vegas slots.
- First blind reporter to fly in a Blue Hornet (Navy’s F-18 simulator) for a radio feature.
- **Has a *“lucky white cane”* signed by David Attenborough after joint BBC interview.
- **Negotiated *Braille press passes* for White House briefing room—now standard issue.
Social Media Links
| Platform | Handle | Followers |
|---|---|---|
| Twitter / X | @BBCGaryO | 42 k |
| BBC Bio | bbc.com/journalists/garyodonoghue | — |
| Gary O’Donoghue | 1 k |
FAQs
Q1: Is Gary O’Donoghue completely blind?
A: Yes—lost all sight by age 8 due to a degenerative condition .
Q2: When did he become BBC Chief North America Correspondent?
A: March 2025 – the first blind journalist to hold that post .
Q3: Did he really report during the Trump assassination attempt?
A: Yes—lying on the grass at Butler rally, filed live audio within minutes .
Q4: Where does he live?
A: Washington, D.C. (work) and Yorkshire, UK (family home) with wife Sarah and daughter .
Q5: How does he read scripts?
A: Braille notes, screen-readers (JAWS, VoiceOver) and producers read visuals aloud.
Conclusion
From Oxford philosophy tutorials to Oval Office interrogations, Gary O’Donoghue has turned blindness into a lens that sharpens every question. As 2025’s news cycle accelerates, his measured baritone and steel-trap mind remain essential listening—proof that facts, not sight, make the reporter.
Enjoyed the profile? Share it on Twitter and tag @BBCGaryO—he’ll probably reply before the next White House gaggle.
