CHRISTIAN O’CONNELL
Christian O’Connell is a UK game changer. Christian has been the host of The Christian O'Connell Breakfast Show on Absolute Radio for a decade, and is one of the UK's most creative radio presenters.
Fans of Hamish Blake and Andy Lee will remember Christian from the world's first international radio simulcast (18 May 2012), when Christian's breakfast show (in London) broadcast live with Hamish & Andy's afternoon show (in Melbourne). For those in Australia who don't know Christian, you can find him on Facebook, Twitter and at christianoconnell.com.
READ THE SHOW NOTES
2:04 Explaining how he got his start in Hospital Radio
3:02 Wanting to create a show along the lines of Steve Wright in the Afternoon
4:11 Getting fired
5:13 Leveraging College Radio to apply for gigs
5:58 Being rejected and receiving career advice
6:29 Living life and how that led to his radio career
7:18 Taking a pay cut to be a presenter and treating it like an apprenticeship
8:12 Picking up extra shifts for free to learn more about radio
8:33 Improving technical skills
8:56 Moving to Juice radio station in Liverpool
9:06 Learning about radio from programmer Giles Squire
11:12 Working for a station that has no money
13:05 Getting poached into London radio
13:38 Working for a station that doesn't believe in you
14:24 Working with Karl Pilkington
15:05 Getting a pay rise
16:05 Trusting his instinct to only say yes to the right gig
16:57 Craig sharing the route Kyle Sandilands took
18:05 Reflecting on being different
18:30 Getting feedback and having a coach
21:54 Describing the 'single worst thing I’ve ever done on the radio' and what he learnt from it
24:10 Describing how to make a bad interview good
25:56 Explaining the program benchmark Who’s Calling Christian?
30:34 Understanding famous people don't always make the best guests
31:03 Creating content
34:40 Understanding what makes good radio
35:35 Reflecting on why the radio industry looks out-dated as a medium
36:10 Describing Howard Stern's interview style
36:40 Connecting with Hamish and Andy
37:35 Getting the culture you deserve
37:53 Coming across Martin/Molloy
39:00 Being defined by what you say no to
39:22 Approaching the big story of the day that will be discussed everywhere
41:20 Surprising the audience and let them know that you’re real
41:50 Going to air with Hamish and Andy
45:02 Describing what it was like to change brand
46:09 Building the audience after a name change
46:51 Describing Clive Dickens as the ultimate salesman
52:03 Recommending stand-up comedy to all presenters
52:43 Doing stand-up and writing content
53:38 Using failures as content
55:44 Reflecting on what he would tell a younger version of himself starting out.