ABC News correspondent James Longman is an ‘Instagram hottie’ known for flaunting his bod in war zones
James Longman, aka the “Beirut Beefcake,” the most prominent (openly) gay correspondent at ABC News, just launched a new show on the Disney+ streaming app. Longman, who fell out with his former bosses at the BBC for comparing Donald Trump to Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi, is best known for posting semi-nude photos of himself on social media and for wearing skintight black T-shirts while reporting in disaster zones. His ABC News colleague David Muir is also a pioneer in the field of beefcake journalism.
Longman’s news show on Disney+ debuted this week. What You Need to Know is a short-form program designed to give viewers a “bite-sized” summary of world events “in under 10 minutes.” The move aligns with Disney’s pivot away from family-friendly content in an effort to attract a more liberal audience. Longman’s cohost, ABC News correspondent (and former Obama intern) Rachel Scott, is best known for badgering Trump during an interview with the National Association of Black Journalists in 2024. She does not share her colleague’s fondness for flaunting his bod on social media.
The “Beirut Beefcake” earned his nickname while serving as a BBC correspondent in Lebanon and Syria, where he showcased his chiseled physique while reporting from war-ravaged locations and frequently posted topless photos of himself after working out. In 2017, the Daily Mail revealed that Longman was posting screengrabs of himself reporting from conflict zones on his Tinder profile. That same year, Longman’s bosses at the BBC scolded the beefcake for an Instagram post he made comparing Trump to Qaddafi, the brutal Libyan strongman.
Longman left the BBC in 2017 for a lucrative gig at ABC News. The American media embraced the “Instagram hottie.” One can only assume that Muir, his beefcake colleague, was seething with jealousy and resentment. Longman hasn’t flaunted his bod on social media as much in recent years, presumably after ABC executives urged him to grow up. Nevertheless, he hasn’t been able to quit completely. Longman’s social media feeds include some relatively recent photos of the beefcake journalist frolicking in a Speedo and posing like Ariel from The Little Mermaid. Perhaps if Disney had cast him to play the lead in the 2023 live-action remake of the classic film, it wouldn’t have flopped at the box office.