Charlotte McCann is the presenter of a new Purple Radio interview segment called Durham Island Discs. But there is a lot more to her than just that. A second year student at John Snow College reading English literature with an optional module in French, she has thrown herself into Durham life full throttle. She is a cheerleader, budding thespian, singer and performer in virtually all styles of dance. I met her by Zoom when she interviewed me in Canada as her second guest for Durham Island Discs. I had such as enjoyable time that I decided to turn the tables on her and become the interviewee who interviews the interviewer.
Durham Island Discs
During her first year at Durham, Charlotte acted in a comedy radio show called ‘Foggoton Tales’ and that is where she got the itch to do her own programme.
‘It just came to me because I wanted to make the most of my time at uni,’ she says. ‘Durham Island Discs struck me as an interesting way to connect alumni and students.’
Charlotte has now completed two episodes with three more pending. It is her hope that once word gets out about Durham Island Discs, other alumni will step forward. The show is patterned on BBC’s famous Desert Island Discs, a long-running programme first aired in 1942 and now on Radio 4, where guests discuss their lives and choose a recording (out of a handful they initially selected), a book and a luxury item they would take with them if cast away on a desert island. Charlotte is optimistic Durham Island Discs will eventually be in podcast form and available on a streaming service such as Spotify.
University life
Charlotte was attracted to Durham because of its collegiate system as it offered a sense of community and a rounded university experience. Student life allows her to find the ‘right balance’ between studies, extra-curricular activities and a social life. She hopes to take a gap from studies next year and improve her French language skills, possibly as a teaching assistant and hopefully in France. As for long-term future plans, her interests are currently journalism and teaching, but nothing is definite—hardly surprising given she is only in her second year of undergraduate study.
One thing is certain with Charlotte. She is passionate about dancing. She teaches at the Durham Instep Dance Society, a student dance group offering a range of classes for all abilities. She is also a cheerleader and president of her college dance society. As would be expected, she has her eye on being a contestant on ‘Strictly Come Dancing’, recognising that she would have to be either famous or a good dancer to get an audition. When not tripping the light fantastic, Charlotte sings various genres of music, including choral, acapella and barbershop.
Given the chance, Charlotte would be thrilled to have dinner with William Shakespeare, or the poet Auden or the Brontë sisters. She has a special attraction to the Brontës as they were authors at a time when women were not widely acknowledged.
Charlotte’s outgoing personality may well reflect that she is part Irish. Her father’s father was Irish, although she grew up in Ealing, West London. The biggest influences in her life are her parents, as well as two teachers at St Benedict’s high school, who sparked her love for English literature. Their enthusiasm rubbed off on her and helped prepare her for university.
While being interviewed on Durham Island Discs was a great honour for me, the best part was meeting Charlotte. This young woman has packed a lot into her life. She is poised with plenty of Irish gift of the gab and the sky’s the limit. Finally, if you see her at a dance event, ask her to perform to the tune ‘Dancin’ Fool’ by the Guess Who band from Canada. It’s the latest song included in her routine.
Durham Island Discs featuring Gavin Murphy aired on Purple Radio on 25 November.