On a March 2013 episode of "Broadcasting House", O'Connell was so moved by journalist Emilie Blachère's poem, "A Love Letter from Emilie Blachère to Rémi Ochlik" that he had difficulty continuing the show and Radio 4's programme fell silent for around 12 seconds. Blachère read her poem as a remembrance on the first anniversary of her partner's death. Photojournalist Rémi Ochlik died with veteran war correspondent Marie Colvin during the Syrian Civil War in 2012. The printed version of Blachère's poem also mentions fallen photojournalist Lucas Dolega, the first journalist to die during the Arab Spring revolutions in Tunisia.