Australian Story — Rory O’Donoghue

Rory O’Donoghue was an actor, musician, composer and performer best known from sketch comedy series The Aunty Jack Show in the 1970s.

What was less known about his life was his long-standing and complex mental health challenges. He was eventually being diagnosed with schizo-affective and bi-polar disorder.

In 2017, he was admitted to a Sydney hospital with severe depression. Hours after his first electroconvulsive therapy treatment he took his life. He was 68 years old.

Three years after his death, in the next episode of Australian Story, O’Donoghue’s family and friends speak out about O’Donoghue’s troubled life and impact it had on them, in the hope of encouraging open discussion of complex mental health issues.

Australian Story: Keeping Up Appearances. Monday 5 October, 8.00pm. ABC and iview.

YouTube: ABC