A Reading doorman has been described as the 'best caller ever' after his passionate seven-minute speech about the beauty of diversity impressed LBC host Shelagh Fogarty.

The 55-year-old named Darren brought listeners to tears after he poignantly described how much he loves being a part of a multicultural town like Reading. 

Darren has been hailed as the “kind of guy who makes you proud to be British”, with his call streamed thousands of times since it was broadcast on Saturday.

Reading is one of the most diverse towns in Britain, with more than 150 languages spoken between its 300,000 residents.

Speaking on the radio call-in programme, Darren said he was "upset" by the way the debate about immigrant was going.

He said: "What is really getting to me is our problems and our daily lives has nothing to do with immigration but the politicians tell you [it does]. 

"They'll tell you that it is, especially one in particular. He'll tell you that the prison you've got problems with this, the NHS, that that we can't pay your bills, you can't. It is because of the people coming on the boat and it's nonsense. It's absolute nonsense.

"We're all in this together. We need to stick together."

Scroll down to listen to Darren's call on LBC 

 

Describing his experience of immigration he said: "[On the Queen's jubilee] God bless her soul, I went to my local park where I walked my dogs three times a day in my community. I know 100 different ways to say hello. How are you? I went to the park.

"We had West Indian food. They're giving it away for free reggae music and all the brothers sitting out drinking red stripe.

"You had the Asian, some Asian families down the corner. Giving out free Curry all with their homemade food, with their music and dancing and and playing games, all the children in the park all day playing together the fire.

The local Polish community came and did the kabasa on the barbecue. They are my brothers, all that they're from all around the world." 

Reflecting on his role in the community as a white man in his fifties, he said: "My gift to my community is my children. And from the day that they were out on the street, they were taught how to think, how to say how to accept people.

"They were taught differences, how to help, how to love, how to show kindness, how to tolerate, how to be tolerant and to walk through life like a man. Like that your word means everything. And the way that you are every day in life means everything, and it shows that people around you and no one asks me.

"No one says to me. Are you a good dad? That's not for me and my children, you know. Are you a good person? That's not for me. My friends and my community will tell you how they see me. And because that's my actions. That's how I live my life." 

Fogarty replied to him by saying: "Darren, I couldn't love you any more." 

The LBC presenter was then inundated with calls after Darren’s ring-in of people praising him and his passionate speech.

Shelagh took to Twitter following the call describing it as the “best call” from her entire career.

She urged people to “be more Darren”.

Writing online, she put: “I’ve just taken the BEST call of my entire career from a doorman called Darren. His response to the racists and agitators is bloody marvellous. Be more Darren.”

London barrister Faisel Sadiq tweeted Darren’s speech had caused him to get a “bit of dust in my eyes”.

He wrote: “Darren from Reading personifies the phrase “the best of British”.

“I managed to get quite a bit of dust in my eyes listening to Darren. He made my morning.

“If anyone knows him, please give him a hug or firm handshake (depending on his preference) for me if you get the chance.”

Reading residents shared their support for Darren’s sentiment. One Royals said: “Born and bred in Reading myself, and everything that Darren said was spot on. I'm grateful I grew up here with people who originated from from all over the world.”

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