Radio star Christian O’Connell reveals how he ‘f***ed’ over Elton John
Host of Melbourne’s number one FM breakfast show, Christian O’Connell, has revealed how he screwed over Elton John during an intimate show.
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Radio star Christian O’Connell has revealed how he “f***ed” over Elton John.
O’Connell was a huge radio star in the UK before he moved to Melbourne in 2018 to host The Christian O’Connell Show on Gold 104.3.
In his new book, No One Listens To Your Dad’s Show, O’Connell tells a hilarious story about hosting an intimate concert with Elton John. You can read the extract below.
‘What was Elton John like?’ asked the therapist raising his eyebrows.
Huh? Wasn’t he supposed to ask about my life journey, my struggles, overcoming adversity … relationship with my mum? A few days after the Elton John interview in his kitchen, he was doing a very exclusive show for my station in a former chapel.
Just 400 guests. That intimate.
I was invited backstage beforehand to say hello, but when I got there I felt this tension and then I was told Elton would only do three songs. He was having some kind of moment.
By this time, with only 20 minutes to go, the audience had settled in and was expecting a very special, hour-long show and the radio station had an hour allocated for it to be transmitted live. I shuffled out like it was no big deal, and told my boss the situation.
‘You’ll have to get him to do the full hour,’ the boss said. ‘He’s Elton John, he does what the f**k he wants,’ I hissed back. We were like that married couple, trying not to have an argument but having an argument.
‘Make him do it.’
‘How?’
‘This is what we pay you for, fix it, find a way,’ he said and walked off.
Oh sh*t.
Fifteen minutes to showtime, I was given my microphone and told the sequence of lights that would mean we were live across the UK. Then, when it was time to bring Elton John on, the light would turn purple.
All I was thinking was how the hell am I going to get Elton John to sing for an hour when he doesn’t want to.
‘Time to get in position now,’ said the stage manager.
As I was ushered around the back of the stage, I could hear the excited buzz of the audience. These final minutes before a show, like when I’m doing a stand-up gig, are some of my favourite moments. The excitement, expectation, potential.
All I felt now was panic: What am I going to do?
An hour ago in a bar around the corner, my wife and I had had a few drinks and we shared in the excitement of what was about to happen, an intimate show with Elton John. Now it looked like this would be a very short intimate show.
Once in the wings I looked out from behind the curtain and scanned the crowd. I saw a grand piano on stage, like a pearl glowing white. It looked magical.
But the party boy wasn’t feeling it. I got it. To him, it was just a show for some radio competition winners. To me, it was everything.
I whispered to one of Elton’s team, ‘Probably be OK once he loosens up,’ more to comfort myself than him.
He formed a half-smile like this had happened many times before and it never ended OK.
On the other side of the stage in the wings was the ominous figure of my boss. He glared over like, ‘Remember, make it happen. This is what we pay you for!’ I could think of nothing to solve this and wanted to be anywhere else but there.
Two minutes to go and I saw movement on the other side of the stage. It was Elton John. Sh*t. I was really nervous now. Should I pray?
‘Sixty seconds and you will be live,’ the stage manager warned.
The small light on the side of my mic went green, it was now live, the safety catch was off.
What was I going to say to the audience here and at home all over the country? I hadn’t even prepared my intro. I knew it needed to mark the moment and be funny, maybe a gag about … Blank. Nothing. Blank.
‘Walk on now, eight, seven, six,’ said the stage manager and he patted me on my back like they do paratroopers when it’s time to leap out of a plane.
My feet walked out onto the stage, but part of me was left waiting in the wings. Or back in the bar.
‘Good evening!’ I bellowed excitedly. Sh*t-eating grin on display.
What a tool.
I took in the crowd, saw that James Corden had somehow got in the front row. And some other faces from TV and film. Oh God.
Then words came out of me, to this day I have no idea where from.
‘We are lucky to be here tonight, and listening all over the country to a very rare and special Sir Elton John show. Just him and a piano, live in a chapel.
‘Normally, after a show like this, we would be giving Elton a standing ovation, but tonight let’s do something different … let’s give it to him NOW, he deserves it at the start of his show RIGHT NOW!
‘Come on, everybody get up, let’s start the standing ovation now, show Elton John what he means to us!’
The response of screaming, whistling and applause was huge, it almost blew me back off my feet.
‘MORE!’ I urged and they gave more. I was buzzing. But would it be enough?
‘Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome on stage, the great Elton John!’
Elton John walked out to a standing ovation, beaming from all the love he was being shown. I headed off stage and as we passed each other he shook my hand, patted my back warmly and leant in to say, ‘Well played, you f***ed me.’ Then he waved to his standing loving audience
As I left the backstage area, the stage manager was all high-fives and even the boss gave me a silent nod of acknowledgment.
I went and found my wife in the audience and sidled up next to her.
‘Everything OK? You looked stressed.’
All I could say over the noise of the crowd as Elton hammered out the intro to Crocodile Rock was, ‘I just f***ed Elton John.’
This is an edited extract from No One Listens To You Dad’s Show by Christian O’Connell and published by Allen & Unwin. On sale now
Originally published as Radio star Christian O’Connell reveals how he ‘f***ed’ over Elton John