Conor Quinn, the Belfast man behind the popular Con Air: Banter Box podcast on finding his voice, going live on the road, and what makes a perfect guest
Conor Quinn (30) from Cliftonville started out behind the camera, but is now the face of chat show-themed Con Air: The Banter Box, which sees him interview a wide variety of guests.
The podcast, which began in April 2023, is one the most listened-to home-grown productions, and its live show version sells out venues.
A photographer by profession, he set up shoots, cut video and built logos, but initially kept his voice off-screen.
He told the Belfast Telegraph: “I never spoke on camera — ever.
Conor Quinn at one of his live shows
“People still say this, they’ve watched me from the start and I was proper shy.”
During lockdown he began going live on TikTok with his sisters, discovering an audience who liked the loose, quick-fire way he bounced off other people.
A chance job with a Belfast artist nudged him further.
“They were like: ‘You should start a podcast’. I said no at first. I didn’t even watch podcasts. But the more I went live, the more it made sense.”
When Con Air: The Banter Box launched, it was visually-led from the outset, with Quinn teaching himself the nuts and bolts of filming, editing, graphics and promotion.
“I do everything, of course I’ve people who press the buttons for recording, make sure the cameras are running, but I edit, do the photoshoots and the graphics,” he explained.
“Hosting came after. I’m not a storyteller; I’m quick-fire. I’ll bounce off someone and keep it light.”
The first YouTube episodes quickly gained traction, building a subscriber base that carried through from short TikTok clips to longer conversations.
Part of the appeal lies in his guest list. Rather than chasing celebrity names, he looks for personality.
“They’re not obviously huge people,” he said. “They’re people from here with a little something about them: big on TikTok, interesting, funny. Personality is everything. I need energy, I need someone who’s game.
“I’d never bring anyone on to be torn apart. I’ll challenge people, but in a way they might not even realise. I want them to leave feeling looked after, and for the audience to maybe change their view of them.”
That approach has translated naturally to the stage, where the podcast has taken on a second life.
What began as a single invitation to try a live show snowballed into a string of dates — Union Street, Thompsons, The Devenish, the Ardoyne Club and in Derry (which featured Big Brother star Jenny Baird as a guest). Each show is built around a theme, and each has sold out. Rather than attempting to replicate the podcast exactly, Quinn designs the evenings as something closer to a variety show.
Guests are balanced across two halves, music and games are added to break up the conversation, and the atmosphere is deliberately loose.
“It’s not like sitting down for a TED Talk,” he said.
“Nobody wants to hear a lecture, they want something they can relate to — nostalgic stories, holidays gone wrong, the kind of things that make everybody laugh because they’ve been there themselves.”
The first outing, he admits, was far from slick.
“Everyone was so nervous and I ended up drunk. It was chaotic, but people loved it because it felt real,” he recalled.
Later editions refined the formula, without losing the spontaneity.
A Christmas show was a particular highlight, with festive songs and games creating the kind of atmosphere Quinn had always imagined.
“We did songs, everybody joined in, it was just a proper night out,” he said.
Away from the stage, the north Belfast man continues to run his creative agency, pulling in freelancers when needed but handling much of the design, editing and promotion himself.
Conor Quinn on his Con Air: The Banter Box podcast
Every event is supported by tailored graphics, skits and social media campaigns that keep audiences engaged long before they arrive at the venue.
He added: “If someone drops out it throws everything, so I keep notes on my phone with back-up topics and ideas — the show has to keep moving.”
The question now is whether podcasting could eventually become his main career.
Quinn is cautious, preferring not to map things out too rigidly.
“If the right opportunity comes up, I’ll go with it,” he said.
“I’m not going to rule anything out, but I’m not chasing controversy or trying to go viral. It has to feel like me.”
After a run of three shows in six weeks earlier this year, he plans to take a short break after a live stage show this Halloween. He will then return focus to the online side of the podcast, particularly YouTube.
Still, whether in front of a camera or on a stage, he insists the aim is unchanged.
“It’s not about big names. It’s about people from here who have something about them — funny, different, interesting. If you’ve got that, the audience will listen.”