This person profile is published by Animal Welfare Investigations Project Limited (AWIP), which believes that sharing information about individuals who are suspected to pose a security risk to animal welfare organisations serves the public interest. In this profile, we explore the strange obsessions of discredited journalist Andrew Ben O’Rourke.
Andrew Ben O’Rourke: Summary
This profile examines the actions of Andrew (Ben) O’Rourke, a journalist associated with the pro-hunting smear outlet, Country Squire Magazine, and his campaign against Jacob Lloyd, Executive Director of AWIP.
O’Rourke’s history includes defamatory accusations against prominent figures, such as falsely alleging a TV presenter fabricated a death threat, which led to legal consequences and an admission of wrongdoing from his employer.
More recently, O’Rourke has embarked on a concerning campaign targeting Lloyd, employing unethical methods such as contacting personal and professional acquaintances under false pretences and engaging in baseless enquiries.
Most alarmingly, O’Rourke has solicited images of Jacob Lloyd through the encrypted messaging application Signal, including ones dating back to when he was as young as 14 years old, raising significant concerns. This pattern of behaviour underscores a troubling disregard for professional standards and personal boundaries, prompting AWIP to issue a cease-and-desist letter to address O’Rourke’s ongoing harassment and misconduct.
Does Andrew Ben O’Rourke support far-right extremism?
Andrew Ben O’Rourke seems to have a Rumble account, a video platform that is popular with far-right extremism. When not gaming or selling mangos in the Philippines, it would appear that Andrew Ben O’Rourke has an interest in far-right extremism.
Ben O’Rourke Personal Profile
Andrew (Ben) O’Rourke, from Tan Hills in County Durham, is the author of the article attacking Jacob Lloyd and AWIP. He was also a “journalist” (that term is used loosely) for the Fieldsports Channel, a pro-shooting media outlet that glorifies animal abuse.
In June 2022, Fieldsports Channel and one of its journalists, Ben O’Rourke, published an online video and article alleging the TV presenter had written a fake death threat letter to himself and lied about it being sent by an anonymous third party. The serious allegation was not put to Mr Packham directly to offer him right of reply. (Credit: Crowdjustice).
Fieldsports Channel Ltd admitted it was responsible for the false and defamatory publications, submitted an apology to the court for publishing such “baseless and damaging allegations of dishonesty” that “fell far below the standards expected of responsible, impartial journalists”. Ben O’Rourke’s legal representative stated that Mr. O’Rourke sincerely regrets instigating the publication of the article that the Claimant had forged and sent himself a death threat, an allegation that he will not repeat (see here).
In December 2024, Ben O’Rourke began reaching out to professional and personal contacts of our Executive Director, Jacob Lloyd, in an attempt to gather information about him. During one such enquiry, when asked, “What is Mr. Lloyd up to then?”, O’Rourke responded, “Nothing really.” He further admitted, “I haven’t been able to find anything” and even stated, “I’m just clutching at straws really.”
During his fishing expedition, he revealed that he is working on a “report” about the RSPB, accusing the organisation of engaging in “land-grabbing” and “stealing land.” He alleged, “They are sneakily getting people off land” and “helping utility companies.” He further mentioned, “my report is coming out early next year.”
We have also been made aware that Mr Ben O’Rourke has requested images of Jacob Lloyd via the encrypted messaging application, Signal. In some of the exchanged images, Jacob is as young as 14 years old.
Due to his unethical conduct and ongoing harassment, we have issued a cease-and-desist letter to Mr. O’Rourke.