Connor Phillips will present a new 90-minute show on BBC Radio Ulster every weekday from 10.30am-12pm, starting on Monday 4th May.
The Connor Phillips Show will reflect the presenter’s own eclectic energetic style. It promises to be fun and maybe even a bit unpredictable. Connor will be keen to hear what the people of Northern Ireland are up to during his live show which will be packed full of music, mirth and even some mid-morning mischief and mayhem.
The County Armagh native will also give listeners his own take on what’s happening in the world – with his new show starting under the current lockdown conditions. The BBC Radio Ulster audience will have plenty of topics to discuss: he’s interviewed music royalty including Amy Winehouse, Tom Jones, Ed Sheeran and The Script; football legends Giggs and Dalglish and was tutored in the art of presenting by none other than BBC Radio One icon, Bruno Brooks.
Connor joins BBC Radio Ulster with a broadcasting pedigree spanning TV, commercial radio – both in Northern Ireland and across the wider UK – hosting national radio across a range of genre from news and current affairs, sport, music and talk shows. His most recent work has been with the BBC in Manchester presenting a weekend phone-in show that is broadcast simultaneously on BBC Manchester and BBC Merseyside.
He is also a familiar face on TV – presenting for The One Show on BBC One, presenting BBC Sport on BBC News Channel and locally on BBC Northern Ireland, Connor has hosted NI Trending alongside his wife Holly Hamilton. The devoted Liverpool fan is also a match day host – at Old Trafford’s Hotel Football!
Connor says: ”One thing I’m always asked when living in England is: ‘What do you miss about home?’ Of course there are friends and family and the ability to get a good pint – but I have always said the same thing: ‘I miss the listeners who interact with radio’. There is no audience like it and I cannot wait to experience that again. They have the ability to bring radio alive, bring humour to even the hardest subjects and have that individual outlook on life.
“I grew up listening to Gerry Anderson and Sean Coyle plus Stephen Clements is a voice that we miss every day. I hope I can entertain fans of these shows and bring my own personality to BBC Radio Ulster. It’s a very hard time for some people across the world at the minute but my aim will be to try and give our listeners some respite from their daily challenges and bring an unpredictable smile to faces – with some devilment thrown in for good measure!”
Emma Dunseith, Senior Head of Content Production, BBC Northern Ireland, says: “Connor is one of those unique broadcasters who make presenting a live show seem effortless and we’re thrilled to welcome him to our radio family. On one hand we know he will put our listeners at ease with his relaxed style and genuine interest in people. On the other, Connor possesses that knack to light up the airwaves with amusing unpredictability, so you never know where a morning might lead. And that’s why it’s great that he’ll be entertaining our mid-morning audience with energy, enthusiasm and, sometimes, a journey into the unknown!
“We should also mention Stephen Clements. Connor steps into the same time slot that Stephen occupied so I’m sure it’ll be poignant for him, for our listeners and everyone at BBC Radio Ulster. We won’t forget Stephen and his contribution to the station which ended too soon. He’s still very much in our hearts as we look forward to this new chapter with Connor.”