Main content

Waking from a coma speaking a foreign language

Ben McMahon has found a career in Chinese reality TV after a car crash left him unable to speak his native English. Waking from the coma, he could only speak Mandarin.

Ben McMahon from Melbourne, Australia, has had an unlikely career in Chinese reality TV after waking up from a coma speaking Mandarin. When he was 18 years old, Ben suffered a head injury during a car crash. During his early recovery he was unable to speak his native English, and could only communicate with confused doctors in Mandarin, a language he’d studied in high school. Ben regained his English but his Mandarin stayed strong and helped him secure a spot on a Chinese dating show he was obsessed with.

Presenter: Harry Graham
Producer: Mariana Des Forges

Picture: Ben McMahon in a red tracksuit
Picture Credit: Courtesy of Ben McMahon

Available now

27 minutes

Last on

Mon 1 Jun 2020 00:32GMT
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service Americas and the Caribbean

More episodes

Previous

Students by day and hostage negotiators by night

Next

Behind the doors of the lockdown museums

See all episodes from Outlook

Broadcasts

  • Sat 30 May 2020 21:32GMT
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service except Americas and the Caribbean
  • Sun 31 May 2020 08:32GMT
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa only
  • Sun 31 May 2020 09:32GMT
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service except East and Southern Africa & West and Central Africa
  • Mon 1 Jun 2020 00:32GMT
    Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World Service Americas and the Caribbean

Contact Outlook

Contact Outlook

Info on how we might use your contribution on air

Podcast: Lives Less Ordinary

Podcast: Lives Less Ordinary

Step into someone else’s life and expect the unexpected