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Radio DJ plays Wham's Last Christmas 24 times in row after barricading himself in studio

He only gave up the ghost when his own four-year-old daughter phoned in to say she didn't like the song

Adam Withnall
Monday 21 December 2015 10:10 GMT
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Joe Kohlhofer's co-host and producers were locked out of the studio for almost two hours while he played the Last Christmas marathon
Joe Kohlhofer's co-host and producers were locked out of the studio for almost two hours while he played the Last Christmas marathon (Antenne Karnten/YouTube)

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A radio host was so determined to get listeners in the festive spirit he barricaded himself in a studio to play Wham's Last Christmas, on repeat, 24 times.

Joe Kohlhofer began his 8am drive-time show on Austria's Antennae Carinthia station by blockading the door to the station with a wooden chair and telling his co-host he would be presenting on his own.

Patricia Jordan could apparently only watch through the glass partition as Kohlhofer took calls from listeners begging him to stop playing the song, which was put on loop for almost two hours.

And according to Austrian media reports, the DJ only gave up his Christmas protest when his own four-year-old daughter was put on the line, saying she didn't like the song.

What will happen next to Kohlhofer remains unclear. The station claimed the stunt was unplanned, and deputy programme director Tommy Schmid told Austria's Kurier newspaper that the host could face "consequences".

James Naughtie swears on radio

But coverage of the stunt, which saw some 120 people phone in to the show, has featured prominently on Antennae Carinthia's own website, and Kohlhofer has been posting clippings from the media coverage on his Facebook page - saying he is "feeling proud". It seems unlikely he will face any serious reprimands.

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