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We look at most cringeworthy moments in Late Late Show history after 'age-gate'

Ryan Tubridy's Late Late Show predecessors have also had to handle some cringe moments

Jamie-Lee O’Donnell on The Late Late Show

Eugene Masterson

Late Late Show host Ryan Tubridy was recently called out for "misogyny" by Derry Girls actress Jamie-Lee O'Donnell.

The actress, who plays teenager Michelle Mallon in the hit Channel 4 sitcom, hit out during an awkward interview as she spoke about her experience of filming the third and final series of Derry Girls.

Ryan said: "This might be a rude question, you don't have to answer, but can I ask you how old you are?"

Jamie-Lee quickly replied: "I'm 117. I'm very, very wise."

However, Ryan continued to pursue an answer to his question, asking, "Would you consider telling me what age you are?"

Jamie Lee said: "This is the thing about it that gets on my nerves a wee bit, no disrespect ... it's quite misogynistic even if it's unintentionally because men don't get the same scrutiny in their career."

This was not the first time Ryan asked Jamie-Lee about her age, having done so on his radio show a couple of years ago too.

But the stand-off on the Late Late between the pair is not the only cringeworthy moment on the famous chat show down through the years.

Here's a few others…

Annie Murphy talks about Bishop Eamonn Casey

Revelations in May 1992 that Bishop Eamonn Casey fathered a son sent shockwaves through Catholic Ireland.

Casey admitted that Annie's son Peter was his, together with the fact that he'd siphoned off $100,000 of church funds to pay for Peter's upkeep and education.

When his former lover appeared on the Late Late Show in April 1993 it made for a gruelling spectacle with host Gay Byrne clearly on the side of the former Bishop of Galway.

Annie Murphy on the Late Late Show

During cross examination by Gay and members of the audience about her history with the bishop and how she became mother to their son Peter - including Gay demanding to know "Is he Eamonn's child?" - Annie became understandably surly.

Attempting to close a torrid interrogation on a fluffy note, Gaybo put it to his under-siege guest: "If your son is half as good a man as is his father, he won't be doing too bad."

Annie hit back with an icy stare before walking off the set: "I'm not so bad either, Mr Byrne," she said.

Pat Kenny rips up Toy Show tickets

The Late Late Toy Show is usually the most watched programme in Ireland every year and tickets are like gold dust.

In 2008 a competition prize on the show offered a €10,000 shopping spree and two Toy Show tickets.

Pat Kenny called up the lucky winner, Barbara, on the phone and he became annoyed by the posh lady's seemingly lack of enthusiasm about her prize.

Pat Kenny rips Toy Show tickets

"If they tortured her they couldn't get anything out of this woman," Pat sneered to the audience before asking Barbara who she would bring to the Toy Show.

"Oh, I'm not particularly interested," she said, so in a fury Pat dramatically tore them up into little pieces.

Pat admitted afterwards he got into trouble for not offering them to someone else.

"People were like 'How dare you destroy [the tickets]', these are like gold dust, and they're even more valuable now," he said.

Boyzone's double trouble

When Louis Walsh came up with an idea in 1993 of putting together a boyband who would be Ireland's answer to Take That he was laughed at.

Fresh from their audition and never having performed as an act together, Gay Byrne cajoled the then sextet into putting on some entertainment for the bemused audience.

Boyzone appear on the Late Late Show

To the strains of dance track Light My Fire, a fresh faced Ronan Keating and his new combo, some of them bare-chested, hilariously tried to dance along to the beat but seemed all over the place.

Ryan Tubridy had the band back on again in 2018 and the much-ridiculed tape reared its ugly head again, with Tubs describing it as "a bit of a fun".

But a furious Shane Lynch told him "I don't give a f**k" and told the presenter to "shove it up your hole".

Linda Martin takes on Aslan's Billy McGuinness

In 2014 Ireland's Eurovision song was chosen as part of Eurosong on the Late Late Show.

Former Eurovision winner Linda Martin and Aslan's Billy McGuinness, who was mentoring contestant Laura O'Neill, became embroiled in a war of words after Billy, who was seated in the audience, lashed out at Louis Walsh's involvement in the selection.

Tubridy stands between Billy McGuinness and Linda Martin during a furious row

Linda, who was seated on stage near Louis, later rose from her seat and approached McGuinness in the audience, angrily pointing at him and branding him an 'odious little man' and Billy rising to his feet to shout back.

Tubridy rushed to the area of conflict and asked everyone to "not lose sight of what was happening" and eventually managed to break up the confrontation.

Pat Kenny tries on Brigitte Nielsen's boots

Sylvester Stallone's ex-wife and Hollywood actress Brigitte Nielsen tried to loosen up Pat Kenny in 2005 by trying on his shoe and then getting him to take off her boots and try them on for size.

The Danish actress then insisted they get up and dance and Pat played along.

Pat Kenny tries on Brigitte Nielsen's boots

Some viewers thought she was drunk but Pat later claimed that she had simply been emotional and upset after receiving bad news about her son's health just before the show.

Gaybo shows how to use a condom

In 1987, during an item on the AIDS crisis and during a lively debate with panellists and the audience about the safe use of condoms, Gay showed one to the nation.

Contraception had been legalised several years earlier but only on prescription and was not widely available, so many people were unfamiliar with condoms and what their purpose was.

"That is the dreaded object. People falling in a swoon all over Ireland at the moment, looking at that," said Gay, as only Gay could, as he took the condom out of its wrapper.

Gaybo displays condom

He then linked to an animated screen demonstration of their use by saying: "If you pardon the expression, Roisín, would you roll it there please?" to nervous laughter from the audience.

Gay calls up grieving competition winner

In 1997 Gay called up a woman who had been picked out of hundreds of thousands of competition entries to win a new car.

"Are you happy, Rita?" Gaybo asked after telling her about her win. "Yes," she said.

"Are you watching the show tonight?" he asked. She replied: "I wasn't. My daughter died last night."

A young Gay Byrne on The Late Late Show

Gay said he was very sorry and asked what had happened and 'why did she die?'

Rita replied, "Are you being funny? She got knocked down. She was in a car crash last night."

It turned out Rita's daughter had sent in the postcard entry for the competition. Byrne asked Rita if she wanted to end the call but she said she would stay on and Byrne's guests in studio, a nun and poet Brendan Kennelly, offered the woman words of comfort. Kennelly recited his poem Begin and Rita wept.

Gay told her she had the support and prayers of the country and Rita said she felt she was doing something important for her daughter in accepting the prize for her.

Pat Kenny confronted by stage invader

Back in 2006 Pat had just welcomed the judges of You're a Star into the studio, and as he and Brendan O'Connor took their seats, a member of the audience stormed up to him and shouted about Pat and former Late Late Show host Gay Byrne being "insufferable a***holes".

A polite Pat initially said, 'How are you?' and as the man continued to insult him he simply added: 'Thank you very much'.

Pat Kenny confronted on Late Late Show stage

The show broke for ads for two minutes before the man was removed by security.

When Pat returned he apologised for the 'rude interruption'. A year later, the same man, Paul Stokes deliberately crashed through the front door of RTÉ and got a year in jail for his trouble.


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