Calum McSwiggan


Calum McSwiggan is a British YouTuber, blogger, and online radio presenter. McSwiggan creates video content on LGBT+ issues, mental health, and sex and relationships. He began creating YouTube videos in 2013 and began hosting The Calum McSwiggan Show on Fubar Radio in 2017.

Personal life

McSwiggan was born in Nottingham and grew up in Derbyshire. He graduated from the University of Derby with a degree in Creative Writing, then worked abroad for several years as an English teacher in Italy, Spain, Switzerland and Germany. He also spent time working in an animal sanctuary in Thailand, raising and caring for tiger cubs. In 2013, he worked for HIV charity Terrence Higgins Trust in London before becoming self-employed as a blogger and online radio presenter in 2018.

Career

YouTube

McSwiggan began creating YouTube videos in September 2013 and was shortlisted as a finalist for Lastminute.com's nationwide search for a travel blogger later that year. McSwiggan collaborated with LGBT+ charity organisation Switchboard in June 2015 to support their relaunch with a series of videos featuring notable LGBT+ celebrities including Tom Daley, George Takei, and Matt Lucas. In 2016, McSwiggan co-produced an award-winning documentary on mental health and in 2017 his Love Happens Here video was awarded best LGBT+ short film at Buffer Festival in Toronto.

Writing

McSwiggan was editor of the University of Derby student magazine in 2008 and published his first piece of work in the prose and poetry anthology What We Wrote. McSwiggan began blogging his experiences of travelling solo as a gay man in 2011, and went on to contribute to a number of books including Hannah Witton's sex education book Doing It. In 2017 he signed to literary agent Diamond Kahn & Woods working on his first book.

Radio and podcasts

McSwiggan presents The Calum McSwiggan Show on Fubar online Radio with LGBT+ guests such as Munroe Bergdorf and Rose McGowan. The show has a commitment to LGBT+ talent and exclusively plays music from LGBT+ artists. McSwiggan has also spoken about a number of LGBT+ issues on stations including Gaydio and BBC Radio 2. McSwiggan has also co-presented an episode of BBC Radio 4's Gay Britannia and took part in a 24-hour live radio broadcast for UN Women.

Controversy

In January 2016, McSwiggan uploaded a video I Did Gay Porn And I'm Sorry apologizing for an incident where leaked footage was posted online showing him performing a number of explicit sex acts. He later received criticism from a number of gay pornographic actors who claimed that his views were demonizing of the industry.
In June 2016, McSwiggan pleaded guilty to vandalism after being attacked during an alleged hate crime in Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Police Department claimed the injuries sustained during the incident were self-inflicted.