The Late Late Show has given us some defining moments over the years – one of the most recent being the Derry Girls controversy on the Friday night show.
While the nation is still talking about Ryan Tubridy’s interview with Jamie Lee O’Donnell, we here at Extra.ie are in a reflective mood.
With over 50 years of content to choose from, narrowing this list down to just six unforgettable moments proved a challenge in itself.
Derry Girls’ Age Debate
Social media has sparked debate since Ryan Tubridy asked Derry Girls star Jamie Lee O’Donnell about his age. The actresses who played Michelle deemed Ryan’s two questions about her age as “very misogynistic”.
Ryan was quick to respond, saying he would ask a male guest the same question since they play characters who are still in school. With viewers divided over who was right, the studio’s air of tension still lingers.
Toy Show Ticket Fiasco
We all dream of attending the Toy Show, who doesn’t want to be there for a night full of freebies and celebrity surprises? Well… a woman named Barbara!
Barbara seemed less enthusiastic about winning a €10,000 shopping spree and two Toy Show tickets. After overhearing her say she wasn’t “particularly interested” in the Toy Show, Pat ripped the tickets in half in a scene straight out of a horror movie. The cries of the public will live forever in our heads.
Ryan’s call
Poor Ryan, he was tasked with delivering a talk show in the midst of a pandemic without an audience and doing countless Zoom interviews. The return of its audience was to be the television feel-good moment of the year.
However, things didn’t turn out that way when Ryan emerged in front of a crowd heartily waving Irish flags and singing Ireland’s Call. Although this may not seem so serious, it led to RTE receiving an official complaint and several calls from an angry viewer.
Interview with Padraig “Pee” Flynn
European Commissioner Padraig “Pee” Flynn appeared on the show in 1999 and had one of the worst interviews in the show’s history.
Boasting his take home pay of £100,000 a year and complaining about the difficulty of managing “three houses at once”, the Mayo man was surrounded by controversy after his chat with Gay Byrne.
The beginnings of Boyzone
Nothing says the 90s more than a boyband dancing around the Late Late Show studio in bizarre outfits that would honestly be a big hit on a night out in Ireland in 2022.
It’s a small miracle that Ronan Keating and the gang have managed to overcome the confusion around them to become one of Ireland’s most iconic bands. No one will ever forget their debut on The Late Late.
Billy versus Linda
There have been some iconic fights during our time on this planet. The Avengers battled Thanos, Godzilla battled King King and Billy McGuinness, and Linda Martin fought on Late Late’s Eurovision special.
Billy was not at all happy with the involvement of Louis Walsh in the jury, which led to a spectacular back and forth between the musicians. It’s Ireland’s best Eurovision moment for over two decades.
