[4] In 1982, McGann successfully auditioned for the role of Barry Grant in the British soap opera Brookside, after he was cast by show creator Phil Redmond.
The following year, he started playing the role of Charlie Burrows in the long-running ITV sitcom The Upper Hand, alongside Diana Weston and Honor Blackman.
He featured as Grimes at the Chichester Festival Theatre in the 2003 stage musical adaptation (by Jason Carr and Gary Yershon) of the novel The Water Babies.
[7] On 16 December 2007, he played one of the three Magi in BBC Three's Nativity; a live performance of the Bible story of Jesus's birth, set in modern-day Liverpool.
As of 2011, he can be seen occasionally guest presenting STV's daily magazine show, The Hour, alongside regular host Michelle McManus.