Christian O'Connell is one of the leading talents in UK commercial radio. He's an award winning DJ with eight prestigious Gold Sony Radio Awards and he also picked up a bronze in 2011.
He's the voice that gets millions of people out of bed every morning and from 6am-10am; his show is a whirlwind of celebrity interviews, cheeky banter and the kind of comedy capers that get listeners into work with a smile on their faces.
"Too many twits might make a twat..."
He's the man who catapulted David Cameron into the headlines when the Prime Minister made a famous gaffe while talking about whether he used Twitter. DC's twist on the word Twitter live on-air during the breakfast show prompted a flurry of headlines and an apology from Westminster - all from an interview with Christian! He's also responsible for bringing the Mobility Scooter Grand Prix to The Mall by Buckingham Palace and got Coldplay to talk about how often they wash their pants.
Who's Calling Christian?
In 2006 he joined Virgin Radio and immediately impressed listeners with features like 'Who's Calling Christian?' which was so compelling that even Prime Minister Tony Blair called in live to enter. The idea was that listeners contacted celebrities to get them to phone in, with a prize of £30,000 divided between the listener and the star's chosen charity. Callers included Liam Gallagher who Christian had to interview without any warning or preparation which is a testament to his immense talent for improvisation.
As well as giving away a radio show to a complete unknown in 'Opportunity Knocks' he has also done a lie detector test live from his bedroom after his wife thought she could smell women's perfume in there and released a top-ten World Cup football song written and performed by listeners to the show with help from celebs like Graham Coxon and Brian Blessed.
Christian has a true grasp of what makes good radio and isn't afraid to say what he thinks. Interacting with his listeners is one of the things O'Connell does best, whether it's live on the phone or via Twitter, Facebook or email, Christian brings out the best in his audience, letting their personalities shine through with his quick-witted technique in exactly the same way he would a celebrity interview.
"Christian combines the sharpness of Ross with the mateyness of vintage Evans" - The Times
Early radio career
During his breakfast show Christian draws on everyday experiences to tell stories that his army of fans can readily relate to and has an anecdote for every occasion. As a teenager he tried his hand at hospital radio but was sacked when he stopped a record mid-song and said he'd just heard that Elsie who requested it had died so he didn't need to play it any more!
After stints on local radio and a foray into the world of stand-up comedy he established himself as an industry favourite while broadcasting on London's XFM and presenting shows like the Saturday morning sports quiz 'Fighting Talk' on BBC Radio 5 Live as well as TV programmes on Sky and ITV.
"I have a new hero and his name is Christian O'Connell" - Lyn Barber, The Observer
The Men Commandments
Christian's bible for blokes, discusses everything from why two men can never comfortably share an umbrella, to how it ever reached the stage where blokes spend more money on grooming products than beer. In his own words "Women have Bridget Jones, now men have this."
"Everything he has to say about manliness is witty and true." - David Tennant
Christian On The Telly
Christian has shown his versatility by entertaining the ladies on ITV's Loose Women and showing his culinary skills off on BBC's Something for the Weekend. Christian's no stranger to TV, having presented shows on Five, ITV and Sky 1, he also appeared in ITV2's Back on the Job in which he went back to being a bin man, local radio presenter and telesales operative.
When he's not entertaining the nation, Christian is an avid user of Twitter and likes listening to his thousands of CDs. He is a huge supporter of Southampton FC and a big fan of gadgets. He lives in Surrey with his wife Sarah and their two daughters Ruby and Lois.
Christian has recently presented panel shows on both BBC Radio 2 and 5 Live and can currently be heard each Saturday morning on BBC Radio 5 Live.
