Gaydio Breakfast presenter Dean McCullough

·40 min·3 clips

A listener told Dean his voice stopped them from taking their own life during lockdown.

The episode features an interview between host Daryl Morris and guest Dean McCullough, presenter of the Gaydio Breakfast Show. Dean opens up about the immense pressure of hosting a breakfast show during the COVID-19 pandemic, revealing he considered quitting before Christmas due to burnout and lack of support. He describes receiving messages from listeners who credited his show with preventing suicide, highlighting the emotional toll and responsibility. Dean explains the delicate balance he maintains between covering important LGBTQ+ issues, like Black Lives Matter and LGBT Muslim struggles, and providing escapist entertainment to avoid triggering vulnerable listeners. He delves into his personal background, growing up gay in Belfast during the Troubles, where same-sex marriage was only legalized last year, and his mother had to coax his sexuality out of him at age 16. Dean reflects on how his childhood experiences, including witnessing paramilitary violence, inform his empathy for marginalized groups. The conversation shifts to his recent opportunity to present on BBC Radio 1 over Christmas, which he describes as a dream come true and a morale boost during a dark time. He notes the flood of messages from Northern Irish listeners during his Radio 1 shows, emphasizing the lack of Northern Irish representation in UK media. Dean critiques the limited opportunities for young broadcasters in Northern Ireland and advocates for more diverse voices. Throughout, themes of community support, mental health, and the power of radio as a lifeline recur. The episode concludes with Dean expressing gratitude for his role at Gaydio and the dedicated listener community.

As heard by us

A radio interview where a dream job is inseparable from the life that made it matter.

Dean McCulloch's conversation with Daryl Morris is most compelling when it treats radio as something shaped by lived experience, not just career ambition.

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Why you'd press play

You get a candid road story: growing up gay in Belfast, hosting Gaydio Breakfast through the pandemic, and landing a BBC Radio 1 dream slot.

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