EAGER to share your chuckleheaded opinions on air and be publicly humiliated in the process? Radio phone-in regular Roy Hobbs explains how:
Have no f**king clue what you’re talking about
This cannot be stressed enough: knowledge is your enemy. If you’re discussing the EU, claim it was Hitler’s idea. If you have half an inkling about a subject, run head-first into a wall before you dial and put your faith in concussion. The deeper your ignorance, the better.
Assume you can outwit a professional broadcaster
Let’s say you’re calling LBC presenter James O’Brien. He does this every day, has a long broadcast journalism career and grills aggressive politicians. He’ll cave instantly when confronted by a rambling dickhead with an unfathomably racist point about Indian doctors.
Be patient
You’ll probably be kept on hold for a while. Hang in there. Don’t be tempted to consider what you’re about to say. With a little patience the presenter will soon be tearing you a new arsehole while listeners feel ashamed for you.
Always have very right-wing views
These should be predictable: national service is automatically excellent, young people are all PC snowflakes, hanging works a treat. Before calling, do a quick mental audit to check you aren’t harbouring disconcertingly liberal views like ‘maybe slavery wasn’t that great.’
Make your point incomprehensible
Begin with an ambiguous statement, contradict yourself, tell an anecdote about your mate Tony who irrelevantly runs his own vegetable business, switch to an unrelated topic, contradict yourself again, lose the thread entirely and get cut off. That’ll show Remainers.
Forget the internet exists
Believe it or not, now that radio stations put clips of phone-ins online, a lighthearted quip about life in modern Britain can get you in trouble. And for ‘lighthearted’ substitute ‘horrendously racist’.
