Oliver Callan
Encyclopedia
Oliver Callan is an Irish
vocal and performance satirist
and impressionist
known for featuring on Nob Nation
, Green Tea and The Saturday Night Show
. He rose to fame during the 2000s when his daily Nob Nation slots aired on RTÉ Radio
. His Green Tea creation on RTÉ Radio 1
has been described by The Irish Times as "essentially an extended version of Nob Nation.
Nob Nation and Green Tea parody political, social and cultural personalities, with Callan performing as the characters featured on the show. His radio broadcasts have led to the release of regular podcasts, several CDs and appearances on prime time television programmes such as The Saturday Night Show on RTÉ One
. He has also incurred the wrath of several politicians and the Kerry GAA
star Paul Galvin
for his impressions. He is well known in Ireland and the UK for skewering celebrities and politicians on radio. His acerbic wit and talent for mimicry has made him a household name, according to the Irish Independent.
in County Monaghan
. He has an older brother. His father's name is Tony. His family have a farm. He has said it was difficult growing up gay
in Monaghan in the late 1990s. The first person he came out
to was his best friend who is also his producer.
Initially working as a newsreader, he later began to perform sketches on The Gerry Ryan Show
on RTÉ 2fm
. Its presenter, Gerry Ryan
, outed him at a dinner party in Dublin before he died
. Callan has been involved in a legal dispute with Mario Rosenstock
over his time working with Gift Grub
on Today FM
.
Very little else is known about Callan as he had never given an interview as himself until 29 October 2011, instead appearing as the public figures he portrays.
on 20 January 2008 as being Ireland's most popular podcast
of the previous year, with figures showing a total of 736,711 downloads on RTÉ.ie
between April and December 2007. Comparatively, RTÉ Radio 1's most popular radio show, Morning Ireland, was second with 730,965 podcast downloads. Nob Nation is also frequently in the top five of the iTunes
chart.
Following some complaints about Callan's portrayal of Taoiseach
Brian Cowen
"swaying and snorting in booze-filled sing-songs about his difficulties in office", the popularity of the slot "simply exploded" according to RTÉ, with over 250,000 hits each month and making up almost a third of all downloads from RTÉ.ie. Callan's portrayal of Enda Kenny
as cross-dresser
"Dame Enda" has drawn reactions from Fine Gael
and Enda Kenny himself.
The first Nob Nation CD, containing twenty of Callan's sketches, was released in Ireland in November 2007. Those parodied on the compilation include politicians Bertie Ahern
and Enda Kenny
, former Republic of Ireland national football team
manager Steve Staunton
, broadcaster Gay Byrne
and newsreaders Bryan Dobson
and Colm Murray. The album debuted at number five on the Irish Albums Chart
ahead of Amy Winehouse
and Bruce Springsteen
on 9 November 2007, according to IRMA
, the official chart tracking body in Ireland. A second compilation, Nob Nation 2: The Recession Album, was released on 7 November 2008. Nob Nation 3 was released in the Irish Daily Mail in November 2009. The fourth compilation in the series, Nob Nation 4: The Hangover, was released on 12 December 2010 in the Irish News of the World.
In August 2010, a new website www.nobnation.com showcasing comedy videos and purportedly uncensored versions of Nob Nation podcasts appeared. A number of Sunday newspapers reported that the website features controversial depictions of Brian Cowen in a bar along with Judge Gargle, a fictional character loosely based on a high-profile Irish judge.
An 84-year-old guesthouse owner sued RTÉ over a Nob Nation sketch claiming it claimed he was running a brothel
in County Waterford
. His Senior Counsel warned the jury before the sketch was played to them that they might wince as, he said, it was the "most vulgar type of broadcast imaginable". The court awarded €70,000 damages.
Callan once rang Charlie Bird
and, impersonating Enda Kenny, said there was a story about to break about Kenny buying women's underwear. Bird thought it was real.
shouting “Where's my box? Where’s my box?” before he goes to bed under his Seamus Heaney
duvet and unsuccessful presidential candidate David Norris as Higgins's vice-president.
In October 2011, Callan and his producer James McDonald were allegedly assaulted by Kerry GAA star Paul Galvin
late at night in Kehoe's Pub, Central Dublin. Among witnesses to the alleged incident were a Government Minister, a TD
, a senator and several journalists. One witness alleged Galvin called Callan a "fucking cunt". Callan later described how Galvin approached him with "his eyes bulging" and looking "crazy". The incident was investigated by the Garda Síochána
. The media speculated on the reason behind the alleged incident, reporting that Callan had recently mimicked Galvin asking Taoiseach Enda Kenny to man-up by giving him a body-wax on Green Tea and that Galvin had texted Callan before an appearance on The Saturday Night Show
in relation to "gay jibes" the satirist had directed at him. It was eventually revealed that Galvin had complained (or not complained at all) to RTÉ after what he described as "the most excruciating night of my life" at home on his sofa between his parents in Kerry watching The Saturday Night Show when Callan referred to Galvin's "years spent in the closet".
Callan impersonated Galvin again on Green Tea the week after the alleged assault. Callan then appeared on The Saturday Night Show for an unprecedented second consecutive week to defend himself against accusations of homophobia. He did, by announcing he was gay on live television.
Galvin is to feature in Callan's next live show.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
vocal and performance satirist
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
and impressionist
Impressionism
Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement that originated with a group of Paris-based artists whose independent exhibitions brought them to prominence during the 1870s and 1880s...
known for featuring on Nob Nation
Nob Nation
Nob Nation is the title of a series of topical comedy pieces broadcast since November 2006 on two national radio stations in Ireland, RTÉ 2fm and RTÉ Radio 1. The programmes are broadcast Monday through Saturday each week...
, Green Tea and The Saturday Night Show
The Saturday Night Show
The Saturday Night Show is an Irish chat show hosted by Brendan O'Connor that has been broadcast on RTÉ One since 2010. The show features guest interviews, audience participation and live music...
. He rose to fame during the 2000s when his daily Nob Nation slots aired on RTÉ Radio
RTÉ Radio
RTÉ Radio is a department of Irish national broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann. RTÉ Radio broadcasts four analogue channels and five digital channels....
. His Green Tea creation on RTÉ Radio 1
RTÉ Radio 1
RTÉ Radio 1 is the principal radio channel of Irish public-service broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann and is the direct descendant of Dublin radio station 2RN, which began broadcasting on a regular basis on 1 January 1926...
has been described by The Irish Times as "essentially an extended version of Nob Nation.
Nob Nation and Green Tea parody political, social and cultural personalities, with Callan performing as the characters featured on the show. His radio broadcasts have led to the release of regular podcasts, several CDs and appearances on prime time television programmes such as The Saturday Night Show on RTÉ One
RTÉ One
RTÉ One is the flagship television channel of Raidió Teilifís Éireann , and it is the most popular and most watched television channel in Ireland. It was launched as Telefís Éireann on 31 December 1961, it was renamed RTÉ Television in 1966, and it was renamed as RTÉ One upon the launch of RTÉ...
. He has also incurred the wrath of several politicians and the Kerry GAA
Kerry GAA
The Kerry County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Kerry...
star Paul Galvin
Paul Galvin (footballer)
Paul Galvin is an Irish sportsperson. He plays Gaelic football with his local club Finuge, his divisional side Feale Rangers and has been a member of the Kerry senior inter-county team since 2003. Galvin had the honour of being named as the 1000th All-Star.Galvin writes a weekly fashion column...
for his impressions. He is well known in Ireland and the UK for skewering celebrities and politicians on radio. His acerbic wit and talent for mimicry has made him a household name, according to the Irish Independent.
Early life
Callan is from InniskeenInniskeen
Inniskeen, officially Inishkeen , is a small village and parish in County Monaghan, Ireland, close to the County Louth and County Armagh borders. It is located about 17 km from Dundalk and 12 km from Carrickmacross and 5 km from Crossmaglen...
in County Monaghan
County Monaghan
County Monaghan is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Monaghan. Monaghan County Council is the local authority for the county...
. He has an older brother. His father's name is Tony. His family have a farm. He has said it was difficult growing up gay
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
in Monaghan in the late 1990s. The first person he came out
Coming out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
to was his best friend who is also his producer.
Initially working as a newsreader, he later began to perform sketches on The Gerry Ryan Show
The Gerry Ryan Show
The Gerry Ryan Show was RTÉ 2fm's mid-morning radio show...
on RTÉ 2fm
RTÉ 2fm
RTÉ 2fm, or 2FM as it is more commonly referred to, is Raidió Teilifís Éireann's second national radio station. It broadcasts popular music programming aimed at a young Irish audience.- History :...
. Its presenter, Gerry Ryan
Gerry Ryan
Gerard "Gerry" Ryan was an Irish presenter of radio and television employed by Raidió Teilifís Éireann...
, outed him at a dinner party in Dublin before he died
Death of Gerry Ryan
The sudden death of RTÉ broadcaster Gerry Ryan occurred on 30 April 2010. He was 53. Ryan had been presenting The Gerry Ryan Show since 1988 and at the time of his death had the largest audience on RTÉ 2fm...
. Callan has been involved in a legal dispute with Mario Rosenstock
Mario Rosenstock
Mario Rosenstock born 31 August 1971, is an Irish actor, comedian, impressionist and musician who is best known for his parody music singles and his role in the Gift Grub comedy series on Irish radio station Today FM....
over his time working with Gift Grub
Gift Grub
Gift Grub is a series of short comic pieces broadcast on weekdays on the breakfast show of Irish commercial radio station Today FM since 8 May 1999...
on Today FM
Today FM
Radio Ireland Ltd, trading as 100-102 Today FM is an Irish commercial FM radio station which is available nationally. The station, which commenced broadcasting on Saint Patrick's Day in 1997, can be received nationally and carries a mix of music and talk...
.
Very little else is known about Callan as he had never given an interview as himself until 29 October 2011, instead appearing as the public figures he portrays.
Nob Nation
Nob Nation was reported in the Sunday IndependentSunday Independent
The Sunday Independent is a broadsheet Sunday newspaper published in Ireland by Independent News and Media plc. The newspaper is edited by Aengus Fanning, and is the biggest selling Irish Sunday newspaper by a large margin ; average circulation of 291,323 between June 2004 and January 2005,...
on 20 January 2008 as being Ireland's most popular podcast
Podcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
of the previous year, with figures showing a total of 736,711 downloads on RTÉ.ie
Rte.ie
RTÉ.ie is the brand name and home of RTÉ's online activities, located at the URL http://rte.ie. The site began publishing on 26 May 1996. According to RTÉ, it operates on an entirely commercial basis, receiving none of the licence fee which funds much of RTÉ's activity. The site, it says, is funded...
between April and December 2007. Comparatively, RTÉ Radio 1's most popular radio show, Morning Ireland, was second with 730,965 podcast downloads. Nob Nation is also frequently in the top five of the iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
chart.
Following some complaints about Callan's portrayal of Taoiseach
Taoiseach
The Taoiseach is the head of government or prime minister of Ireland. The Taoiseach is appointed by the President upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas , and must, in order to remain in office, retain the support of a majority in the Dáil.The current Taoiseach is...
Brian Cowen
Brian Cowen
Brian Cowen is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 7 May 2008 to 9 March 2011. He was head of a coalition government led by Fianna Fáil which until 23 January 2011 had the support of the Green Party and independent TDs.Cowen was also leader of Fianna Fáil from 7 May...
"swaying and snorting in booze-filled sing-songs about his difficulties in office", the popularity of the slot "simply exploded" according to RTÉ, with over 250,000 hits each month and making up almost a third of all downloads from RTÉ.ie. Callan's portrayal of Enda Kenny
Enda Kenny
Enda Kenny is an Irish Fine Gael politician, and has been the Taoiseach since 2011. He has led Fine Gael since 2002. He served as Minister for Tourism and Trade from 1994 to 1997. He is also a two-term Vice President of the European People's Party.Kenny has been a Teachta Dála for Mayo since...
as cross-dresser
Cross-dressing
Cross-dressing is the wearing of clothing and other accoutrement commonly associated with a gender within a particular society that is seen as different than the one usually presented by the dresser...
"Dame Enda" has drawn reactions from Fine Gael
Fine Gael
Fine Gael is a centre-right to centrist political party in the Republic of Ireland. It is the single largest party in Ireland in the Oireachtas, in local government, and in terms of Members of the European Parliament. The party has a membership of over 35,000...
and Enda Kenny himself.
The first Nob Nation CD, containing twenty of Callan's sketches, was released in Ireland in November 2007. Those parodied on the compilation include politicians Bertie Ahern
Bertie Ahern
Patrick Bartholomew "Bertie" Ahern is a former Irish politician who served as Taoiseach of Ireland from 26 June 1997 to 7 May 2008....
and Enda Kenny
Enda Kenny
Enda Kenny is an Irish Fine Gael politician, and has been the Taoiseach since 2011. He has led Fine Gael since 2002. He served as Minister for Tourism and Trade from 1994 to 1997. He is also a two-term Vice President of the European People's Party.Kenny has been a Teachta Dála for Mayo since...
, former Republic of Ireland national football team
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
manager Steve Staunton
Steve Staunton
Stephen "Steve" Staunton is an Irish association football manager and former professional footballer, who was most recently manager of Darlington...
, broadcaster Gay Byrne
Gay Byrne
Gabriel Mary "Gay" Byrne is a veteran Irish presenter of radio and television. His most notable role was first host of The Late Late Show over a 37-year period spanning 1962 until 1999...
and newsreaders Bryan Dobson
Bryan Dobson
Bryan Dobson is a newscaster with RTÉ in Ireland. He has presented RTÉ News: Six One for almost 15 years. He previously presented RTÉ News: Nine O'Clock.-Early life:...
and Colm Murray. The album debuted at number five on the Irish Albums Chart
Irish Albums Chart
The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically...
ahead of Amy Winehouse
Amy Winehouse
Amy Jade Winehouse was an English singer-songwriter known for her powerful deep contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres including R&B, soul and jazz. Winehouse's 2003 debut album, Frank, was critically successful in the UK and was nominated for the Mercury Prize...
and Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
on 9 November 2007, according to IRMA
Irish Recorded Music Association
Irish Recorded Music Association is the Irish record industry association. IRMA is a non-profit association set up to manage and control the music industry in the Republic of Ireland.-Goals and activities:...
, the official chart tracking body in Ireland. A second compilation, Nob Nation 2: The Recession Album, was released on 7 November 2008. Nob Nation 3 was released in the Irish Daily Mail in November 2009. The fourth compilation in the series, Nob Nation 4: The Hangover, was released on 12 December 2010 in the Irish News of the World.
In August 2010, a new website www.nobnation.com showcasing comedy videos and purportedly uncensored versions of Nob Nation podcasts appeared. A number of Sunday newspapers reported that the website features controversial depictions of Brian Cowen in a bar along with Judge Gargle, a fictional character loosely based on a high-profile Irish judge.
An 84-year-old guesthouse owner sued RTÉ over a Nob Nation sketch claiming it claimed he was running a brothel
Brothel
Brothels are business establishments where patrons can engage in sexual activities with prostitutes. Brothels are known under a variety of names, including bordello, cathouse, knocking shop, whorehouse, strumpet house, sporting house, house of ill repute, house of prostitution, and bawdy house...
in County Waterford
County Waterford
*Abbeyside, Affane, Aglish, Annestown, An Rinn, Ardmore*Ballinacourty, Ballinameela, Ballinamult, Ballinroad, Ballybeg, Ballybricken, Ballyduff Lower, Ballyduff Upper, Ballydurn, Ballygunner, Ballylaneen, Ballymacarbry, Ballymacart, Ballynaneashagh, Ballysaggart, Ballytruckle, Bilberry, Bunmahon,...
. His Senior Counsel warned the jury before the sketch was played to them that they might wince as, he said, it was the "most vulgar type of broadcast imaginable". The court awarded €70,000 damages.
Callan once rang Charlie Bird
Charlie Bird
Charles "Charlie" Bird is an Irish journalist and broadcaster. He was Chief News Correspondent with RTÉ News and Current Affairs until January 2009. He took up the role of Washington Correspondent, but prematurely returned to his earlier post in Ireland in June 2010.-Early life:Bird was born in...
and, impersonating Enda Kenny, said there was a story about to break about Kenny buying women's underwear. Bird thought it was real.
Green Tea/The Saturday Night Show
Callan now works on RTÉ Radio 1 sketch show Green Tea. It features President-elect Michael D. HigginsMichael D. Higgins
Michael Daniel Higgins is the ninth and current President of Ireland, having taken office on 11 November 2011 following victory in the 2011 Irish presidential election. Higgins is an Irish politician, poet, sociologist, author and broadcaster. Higgins was President of the Labour Party until his...
shouting “Where's my box? Where’s my box?” before he goes to bed under his Seamus Heaney
Seamus Heaney
Seamus Heaney is an Irish poet, writer and lecturer. He lives in Dublin. Heaney has received the Nobel Prize in Literature , the Golden Wreath of Poetry , T. S. Eliot Prize and two Whitbread prizes...
duvet and unsuccessful presidential candidate David Norris as Higgins's vice-president.
In October 2011, Callan and his producer James McDonald were allegedly assaulted by Kerry GAA star Paul Galvin
Paul Galvin (footballer)
Paul Galvin is an Irish sportsperson. He plays Gaelic football with his local club Finuge, his divisional side Feale Rangers and has been a member of the Kerry senior inter-county team since 2003. Galvin had the honour of being named as the 1000th All-Star.Galvin writes a weekly fashion column...
late at night in Kehoe's Pub, Central Dublin. Among witnesses to the alleged incident were a Government Minister, a TD
Teachta Dála
A Teachta Dála , usually abbreviated as TD in English, is a member of Dáil Éireann, the lower house of the Oireachtas . It is the equivalent of terms such as "Member of Parliament" or "deputy" used in other states. The official translation of the term is "Deputy to the Dáil", though a more literal...
, a senator and several journalists. One witness alleged Galvin called Callan a "fucking cunt". Callan later described how Galvin approached him with "his eyes bulging" and looking "crazy". The incident was investigated by the Garda Síochána
Garda Síochána
, more commonly referred to as the Gardaí , is the police force of Ireland. The service is headed by the Commissioner who is appointed by the Irish Government. Its headquarters are located in the Phoenix Park in Dublin.- Terminology :...
. The media speculated on the reason behind the alleged incident, reporting that Callan had recently mimicked Galvin asking Taoiseach Enda Kenny to man-up by giving him a body-wax on Green Tea and that Galvin had texted Callan before an appearance on The Saturday Night Show
The Saturday Night Show
The Saturday Night Show is an Irish chat show hosted by Brendan O'Connor that has been broadcast on RTÉ One since 2010. The show features guest interviews, audience participation and live music...
in relation to "gay jibes" the satirist had directed at him. It was eventually revealed that Galvin had complained (or not complained at all) to RTÉ after what he described as "the most excruciating night of my life" at home on his sofa between his parents in Kerry watching The Saturday Night Show when Callan referred to Galvin's "years spent in the closet".
Callan impersonated Galvin again on Green Tea the week after the alleged assault. Callan then appeared on The Saturday Night Show for an unprecedented second consecutive week to defend himself against accusations of homophobia. He did, by announcing he was gay on live television.
Galvin is to feature in Callan's next live show.
External links
- Podcasts: Nob Nation Green Tea