‘It’s Been a Nightmare’: Man Lived for Six Years With a Penis Grafted to His Arm
A documentary about a British man’s genital tribulations left viewers gobsmacked.

Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast/Getty
British television viewers have been left astonished after watching a television documentary entitled The Man With a Penis on His Arm about a man who was forced to live for six years with a penis grafted to his limb.
Malcolm MacDonald’s original penis fell off and he threw it in the trash after it became infected due to sepsis, caused by an attempt to burst a blister, when he was homeless, leaving only a stump.
“I went to the toilet and it fell off,” MacDonald said in the show.
Doctors built a new penis for him out of skin grafts.
ADVERTISEMENT
He requested that his new penis be 6 inches, which was 2 inches longer than his original one. But the operation to reattach it was not completed for several years, delayed in part by the pandemic, so in the intervening period, the new penis was grafted to his arm to maintain a blood supply.
Get the best of The Beast delivered right to your inbox
By clicking “SUBSCRIBE” you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
In the Channel 4 documentary, MacDonald described how the penis once fell out of his sleeve while shopping and had even hit family members in the face while hugging them.
“I fucking slap myself in the eye with it, it’s a dead weight, when you cuddle your nan at Christmas you hit her in the eye,” he said. He also explained that if he tried to use the back burners on his stove while the front ones were on, the penis could get burned.
On the plus side, Malcolm, a keen darts player, showed how he used the penis to hold his arrows while playing, sandwiching them between the organ and the arm.
In a previous video he made for the Sun newspaper, MacDonald said he “had to” try and see the funny side of his situation and had named the penis Jimmy.
The penis has now been reattached and MacDonald is able to urinate and have sex with it.
He said that after the operation, “The first thing I did was look down and I was like, ‘Oh my days. They got it right this time.’ I feel like a real man again.”
He said: “Can you imagine six years of your life with a penis swinging on your arm? It’s been a nightmare, but it’s gone now—the little bugger.”
MacDonald has been praised for his defiance and good humor throughout the ordeal, with the Guardian saying that the show made one “proud to be British.”
In one of the show's more memorable lines, MacDonald, who has struggled with drink and drug addictions, says: “Six years with a cock on me arm. Something to tell the grandchildren, isn’t it?”
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.