The Mother of All Cons reveals the deception of Jean O'Brien and Megan Bhari's Believe in Magic charity
Category: Arts & Culture
A new three-part BBC documentary titled The Mother of All Cons is set to expose a shocking charity scandal that captivated the UK, centering on Jean O'Brien and her daughter Megan Bhari. The series, premiering on May 30, examines the fabricated claims surrounding Megan's alleged battle with a brain tumor, which was used to solicit hundreds of thousands of pounds for their charity, Believe in Magic.
Founded in 2010 when Megan was just 16 years old, Believe in Magic aimed to create magical experiences for seriously ill children, quickly gaining traction and support from high-profile celebrities, including the popular boy band One Direction. Megan's story resonated deeply with the public, particularly as she shared her supposed struggles with cancer, prompting widespread donations and even recognition from then-Prime Minister David Cameron in 2015.
As the charity flourished, raising substantial funds to help other sick children, questions about the authenticity of Megan's diagnosis began to emerge. Parents of children with cancer started to notice inconsistencies in the details shared by Jean and Megan, leading them to investigate the truth behind the charity's operations.
The documentary is based on the 2023 BBC Radio 4 podcast Believe in Magic by Jamie Bartlett, which first brought the story to light. Megan Bhari's rise to fame began with her personal blog, where she detailed her life as a teenager living with a brain tumor. This narrative helped launch the charity and drew in celebrity supporters who participated in various fundraising events.
One Direction played a particularly notable role in promoting Believe in Magic, with members participating in events and wearing charity bracelets at their concerts. The charity organized memorable experiences for children, such as trips to Disneyland and celebrity meet-and-greets, creating cherished memories for families facing the hardships of serious illness.
In 2015, an urgent appeal for funds was launched, claiming that Megan required lifesaving treatment in the United States, which raised around £120,000 in just days. This appeal, though, would become the turning point that led to the unraveling of the charity's facade. Parents like Nick Bird and Joanna Ashcroft, who had firsthand experience with cancer treatments, began to question the legitimacy of Megan's claims.
Bird and Ashcroft noticed patterns in the fundraising appeals that raised red flags. Their concerns grew when they discovered that rather than being in a hospital for treatment, Megan and Jean were enjoying a luxury vacation at Disney World. This discrepancy prompted them to investigate more deeply, leading to a formal inquiry by the UK Charity Commission in 2017.
The inquiry revealed severe financial mismanagement within Believe in Magic, including over £100,000 in unaccounted donations and funds transferred to Jean O'Brien's personal bank account. The charity's accounts were frozen, and it was forced to shut down in 2020 following these revelations.
Tragically, Megan passed away in March 2018 at the age of 23 from cardiac arrhythmia linked to fatty liver disease and opioid addiction treatment, not from cancer as previously claimed. An inquest found no evidence of a brain tumor, leading to widespread outrage and disbelief among those who had supported the charity.
In a 2022 safeguarding review, Kingston Social Services concluded that Megan may have been a victim of Fabricated or Induced Illness, commonly referred to as Munchausen syndrome by proxy. This diagnosis suggested that her mother, Jean, may have played a role in fabricating her daughter's illness for personal gain.
Jean O'Brien has consistently denied any wrongdoing, asserting that she loved and cared for her daughter. In a statement to the BBC, she expressed her disgust at the allegations, saying, "Suggesting I might have harmed her in any way at all is absolutely sickening." Following the scandal, Jean reportedly left the UK and is believed to be living in France, though her exact whereabouts remain unclear.
The documentary aims to shed light on the complex dynamics of the case, exploring the deception at its core and the genuine help that Believe in Magic provided to many families. It raises questions about how much of the charity's good work can be separated from the lies that underpinned its foundation.
Jamie Bartlett, who investigated the case, noted that Megan was sick, but not in the way she claimed. He stated, "Megan was extraordinary but not of the thing she claimed, nor to the severity she claimed." This statement captures the tragic irony of a charity that genuinely helped children yet was built on a foundation of deceit.
The Mother of All Cons will likely be a gripping exploration of one of Britain's most bizarre charity scandals, inviting viewers to grapple with the moral implications of the story. As the documentary airs on BBC Two, it will undoubtedly spark discussions about the nature of trust, charity, and the lengths to which individuals may go for personal gain.
As the public reflects on the events surrounding Believe in Magic, the hope remains that greater scrutiny will be applied to charities in the future to prevent similar deceptions from occurring. The series will air on BBC Two starting May 30, 2026, at 9 PM, and will be available for streaming on BBC iPlayer.