Talking Bollox Podcast's Calvin O'Brien: "If you give ordinary people a chance in the media, ordinary people will enjoy it – and there’s more ordinary than extraordinary people in the world"

For Calvin O’Brien, like many other people who call Dublin home, the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre always stood out as a place of prestige in the city – a cultural landmark largely associated with massive international productions and performers.

But following a phenomenal five years of their hugely popular Talking Bollox Podcast, Calvin and his co-host Terence Power found themselves on that very stage in July – for their biggest ever live show, in the country’s biggest theatre.

“It’s still actually mad when I think about it,” Calvin reflects now. “You go by it and see whatever big musical or play is going to be on there – and we sold that place out.

“Relatives or in-laws, or people who don’t know the podcast, would be like, ‘You do shows? Where have you been?’ And we tell them, ‘We sold out Vicar Street seven or eight times – and we sold out the Bord Gáis this year.’ And they can’t get their head around it.”

It’s particularly impressive considering the humble origins of the project. The pair didn’t come from a media background – with Calvin claiming that they “literally started talking into a phone one day. And that was it.”

It’s that absence of formality and pretense that listeners to the podcast have resonated with most. The premise, as summed up in their tagline, is as simple as it is groundbreaking: “Two lads from the inner city of Dublin sitting around doing what they do best, talking bollox.” Calvin and Terence have continued to expand the brand since its launch in 2020 – introducing TBX, a premium, members-only community, with additional content, earlier this year.

“It’s just grown legs,” Calvin says of TBX. “It had only launched a week, and it ended up going to No.1 on Spotify. I was like, ‘Every single person who has listened to this, to get it to No.1, has paid to listen to it.’ It just shows the support that’s there.”

But as Calvin points out, what Talking Bollox is really about is “giving people a voice”, and shining a light on underrepresented communities – through both the guests they have on the show, and by sharing their own lived experiences.

“If you give ordinary people a chance in the media, ordinary people will enjoy it,” he reasons. “And there’s more ordinary than extraordinary people in the world. People don’t want to be tuning in to hear about someone who’s had this brilliant life – because they’ve inherited this, or been given that opportunity. They want relatable people. Down-to-earth people who are doing great things.”

Still, Calvin admits that it’s taken some getting used to, being held up as a role model for young people in Dublin.

“I’m the most ordinary person you will ever meet,” he asserts. “I’m just a normal young fella who grew up in Dublin 1. I managed to get myself into college, and I got a good job, working in tech. I speak about what I’ve experienced – and that’s that. There’s no airs or graces about it.

“It’s not unachievable, what I’ve done,” he continues. “I’m not out here changing the world – I’m just trying to live my life the best way I can, coming from where I’m from, with what I have available to me. And I’m showing people – friends, family, neighbours – yous all come from the same area, yous all can go and do this.”

Challenging negative perceptions of people from the inner-city is also important to Calvin.

“We’re not this negative stain on the city that we were told we were,” he remarks. “Growing up, I was always told by people in authority – whether it’s teachers, police or whatever: ‘You’ll never be anything, because of where you come from.’

“And I always found that weird,” he adds. “I stopped drinking when I was 15, because I didn’t like it. I never did drugs. I’m making all the right choices, but people would still paint me negatively.”

It’s something he’s been outspoken about throughout his working life.

“I’ve felt like I was swimming upstream to show people: ‘Yeah, I come from Dublin 1, and I put it on my CV,’” he says. “I’d let everyone know where I’m from – Sean MacDermott Street. I used to go past Garda checkpoints to get to work – and when I’d have run-ins with police, I’d see them be shocked that I worked where I worked.

“It’s that social stigma, that nothing but bad news comes from there,” he continues. “The podcast is breaking down those barriers. And in the end, it’s inspiring people to see that they’re more than what society tells them they are.”

To Calvin, it’s a combination of many things that makes the people of Dublin so special: “The wit, the accent, the taste in music, the style…”

“When it comes to wit, they’re probably the sharpest people in the country – how quick they are when it comes to slagging and jokes,” he resumes. “And when it comes to finding the funny side of a bad situation. If you’ve ever been to a wake in Dublin, you’ll know. Humour is how we cope.”

So how would Calvin advise visitors to spend a perfect day in Dublin?

“Walk around as much as possible, because Dublin is tiny,” he says. “I always tell people to go to the Guinness Storehouse, and get a good sense of the history. And then Kilmainham Gaol. You’re close to the Liberties, so you’re getting a taste of old-school Dublin as well.

“Then come over and take a walk through the northside, up Talbot Street,” he continues. “Head out towards Fairview, and then on to the seafront – and have a look at the iconic Poolbeg Towers. We have to be one of the only places in the world where a decommissioned power plant is still getting its chimneys painted, because it’s part of the skyline!”

• The Talking Bollox Podcast is available to stream now.

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