For donkey’s years I have been sickened by the LBC presenter James O’Brien’s arrogance when confronted with a caller with whom he disagrees. He almost inevitably insults people who have the temerity to call his show to disagree. Most often his production team block these people. You almost invariably get sycophantic callers who fawn over O’Brien’s every word which is exactly how he likes it as it massages his enormous but frail ego.
He is a left-leaning liberal who constantly describes anyone who dislikes uncontrolled immigration into Britain as far right bigots; particularly those who protest against illegal immigrants housed in hotels up and down the country.
He refers to people who protest against the presence of illegal immigrants in the UK as racists of the far right. He deliberately sneers and denigrates them as lesser beings.
He actually knows full well that most of them are ordinary, normal people who don’t like the gradual destruction of their once safe neighbourhoods and culture by hundreds of illegal immigrants, banged up in a hotel down the street, about which we know next to nothing. Common sense tells us that that is a normal reaction. Yes, there are some bigots among them but many are simply residents who don’t like it.
In the words of the great Mathew Syed (Times columnist) “Ordinary people will no longer stand for being told common sense is ‘far right’ – and quite rightly so.’ Where they protest there are counter protestors (groups like Stand Up to Racism) who shout insults at them calling them Nazi racists. This is almost always untrue and defamatory.
Yes, there are some far right racists at these protests but the majority as far as I can tell are not.
Syed refers to the Indian caste system in which one group – the Brahmins – look down their noses at another – the Dalits (the untouchables).
He questions if this kind of culture is present in the UK with people like O’Brien looking down their noses at ordinary people who have legitimate concerns about uncontrolled immigration and the failed asylum system in the UK resulting in over 100,000 illegal immigrants being housed in the community while their applications are being processed over upwards of 18 months! It is totally mad and entirely unacceptable to decent British citizens.
Here is a quote from Syed’s column in The Sunday Times of 24th August 2025:
I wonder if we see a version of this [caste system as described] in the West today, directed not at working-class people, as such, but what liberals perceive as their primitive and bigoted world view. You see it when James O’Brien recoils from a working-class caller to his radio show who advocates the deportation of asylum seekers.
Yes, James loves to insult these ‘normal people’ with genuine grievances. That is when I turn off. I can stand the man for about 10 minutes then – off. I switch channels to BBC Radio 4.
Thank you, Mathew, for picking up on this unfair and infuriating development.
More: James O’Brien
P.S. Of course, genuine asylum seekers must be treated with respect and dignity. Brits need to take a sensitive and reasonable approach to illegal immigration but there has also to be a high degree of pragmatism and common sense. The boat people must be stopped. Britain does not have the means to manage these numbers.
What this government has done has failed miserably. Firm steps need to be taken. They are not. The country needs a true leader. Sadly, Starmer is not a leader.
Here is 294 words by ChatGPT on the subject of James O’Brien. I would not be so kind.
James O’Brien is a British broadcaster, journalist, and author, best known as a presenter on LBC (Leading Britain’s Conversation). Born in 1972, he was educated at Ampleforth College and the London School of Economics before beginning a career in journalism. He joined LBC in 2004, where his weekday morning phone-in show has become one of the station’s flagship programmes.
O’Brien is known for his combative yet articulate style, often challenging callers with forensic questioning. His politics lean broadly liberal and progressive, with a strong emphasis on social justice, equality, and evidence-based argument. He is outspoken in his criticism of right-wing populism, particularly Brexit, which he opposed passionately and frequently discussed on air. He has also been a sharp critic of Conservative governments, questioning their handling of austerity, immigration, and the NHS.
Although he positions himself as independent, his outlook is broadly aligned with centre-left politics. O’Brien has praised aspects of Labour under figures such as Keir Starmer, while remaining critical of political hypocrisy across the spectrum. He often targets misinformation, conspiracy theories, and culture-war rhetoric, presenting himself as a champion of rational debate.
Outside radio, he has written books including How to Be Right… in a World Gone Wrong (2018) and How Not to Be Wrong (2020), both combining memoir with political commentary. He also writes for newspapers and appears on television panels.
O’Brien is divisive: admired by listeners who appreciate his incisive questioning and moral clarity, but dismissed by critics who see him as smug, self-righteous, or condescending. Nonetheless, his show has become a central platform for debate in British political culture, reflecting deep divides in public opinion while giving ordinary callers the chance to challenge—or be challenged by—one of the country’s most recognisable radio voices.
This bit from AI is more critical:
James O’Brien has built his reputation on being a sharp-witted interrogator, but many listeners see him as an arrogant, self-regarding figure whose on-air style is more about self-promotion than open debate. His phone-in show on LBC presents itself as fearless conversation, yet it often feels tightly controlled. Critics argue that producers screen callers carefully, allowing through only those unlikely to out-argue him, ensuring O’Brien’s carefully cultivated image of intellectual superiority is rarely challenged.
At the heart of his persona is a massive ego—masked by humour, but thin-skinned and vulnerable when exposed. He often ridicules or patronises callers who disagree, turning discussions into performances where he can deliver barbed put-downs rather than genuine exchanges of ideas. To admirers, this makes him incisive; to detractors, it makes him smug, bullying, and unwilling to engage with views that threaten his worldview.
Politically, O’Brien positions himself as liberal and rational, yet his approach can seem self-righteous. His relentless hostility toward Brexit and the Conservative Party has won him a loyal fan base among like-minded listeners, but it has also narrowed the scope of his conversations. For those outside his bubble, his show confirms the impression of a man less interested in dialogue than in proving himself right.
Even his books and media appearances carry the same tone: part memoir, part lecture, with little tolerance for dissent. The result is a broadcaster who divides public opinion more than most—hailed as a voice of reason by some, but for others, the embodiment of media elitism: a man whose ego demands constant reinforcement, protected by a system that ensures he rarely risks being bested.
