John Joseph Linehan, MBE is a Northern Irish entertainer, most known for his drag queen character May McFettridge. Linehan has, in character, been a long-running feature on local radio and television, as well as a regular pantomime dame.
May McFettridge
John Linehan was a car mechanic before he rose to fame in the guise of his plain-speaking, gap-toothed housewife character, May McFettridge. Eamonn Holmes, a relative, had asked Linehan to phone his then radio show, to liven the programme up. Linehan pretended to be a Belfast housewife, and the banter between the two attracted an unprecedented number of positive phone calls to the radio studio, many asking for a return of the women as a regular on the show. Linehan invented the name and the character by ad libbing — the first name being that of his mother-in-law and the surname being that of an Antrim hurler by the name of Olcan McFettridge, whose exploits in a National Hurling League game had made headlines in the local newspaper, The Irish News, which happened to be beside Linehan when put on the spot. The character became a regular on Downtown Radio. Since that time, Linehan has topped the bill as his character in the Christmas Pantomime in the Grand Opera House in Belfast for thirty consecutive years. On 2 December 2014, John was presented on stage with a bust of May McFettridge to mark his 25th consecutive year of performing at the Grand Opera House's pantomime. The bust will be kept permanently on view in the Grand Circle of the theatre opposite the bust of Frank Matcham, the architect of the building. He/she was described by John Daly as 'the face that sank a thousand ships' during a charity event at the Odyssey in Belfast.
Charity work
Linehan is also involved in charity work, appearing regularly in Northern Ireland's Children in Need broadcasts, and organising events such as golfing tournaments to help raise money for Children of the Crossfire. He was awarded the MBE in 2006 for charitable services in Northern Ireland.
Pantomime
Linehan performs annually as the pantomime dame at the Grand Opera House, Belfast. In 2019 Linehan celebrated 30 years as the pantomime dame at the Grand Opera House, Belfast. 2020/21: Goldilocks and The Three Bears 2019/20: Beauty and The Beast as Mrs Potty 2018/19: Jack and The Beanstalk as Dame Trot 2017/18: Peter Pan as Mrs Smee 2016/17: Cinderella as The Fairy Godmother 2015/16: Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs as May The Cook 2014/15: Aladdin as Widow Twankey 2013/14: Sleeping Beauty as Queen May 2012/13: Cinderella as The Fairy Godmother 2011/12: Jack and The Beanstalk as Dame Trot 2010/11: Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs as Nurse May 2009/10: Aladdin as Widow Twankey 2008/09: Mother Goose as Mother Goose 2007/08: Cinderella as The Fairy Godmother 2006/07: Peter Pan as Mrs Smee 2005/06: Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs as Nurse May 2004/05: Jack and The Beanstalk as Dame Trot 2003/04: Dick Whittington as Sarah The Cook 2002/03: Cinderella as The Baroness 2001/02: Aladdin as Widow Twankey 2000/01: Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs as Nurse May 1999/00: Peter Pan as The Nurse 1998/99: Cinderella as The Baroness 1997/98: Jack and The Beanstalk as Dame Trot 1996/97: Mother Goose as Mother Goose 1995/96: Aladdin as Widow Twankey 1994/95: Dick Whittington as The Cook 1993/94: Jack and The Beanstalk as Dame Trot 1992/93: Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs as Dame Doughnut 1991/92: Babes in The Wood as The Cook 1990/91: Robinson Crusoe
Other appearances
Linehan appeared in the film Divorcing Jack as the 'Announcer'. Later European versions of the 'Divorcing Jack' DVD had May McFettridge segments edited out due to social sensitivities in Eastern European countries such as the Czech Republic or Slovakia.
Personal life
Linehan is an Irish language speaker. He is married to Brenda, and they have two daughters. Linehan has a long association with Northern Amateur Football League club Malachians F.C. and spent two seasons as manager of their reserve team. In the early 1980s, Linehan was diagnosed as having syringomyelia and he had neurosurgery in 1983 following which he had meningitis. The syringomyelia has caused muscle wastage and some loss of sensation on his left side. In 2013 John had a knee replacement at Kingsbridge Private Hospital, Belfast after years of crippling pain.
