Brendan O'Connor's most embarrassing moments

MakeEmLaugh · 01-06-2015 5:39am #1

So, with his TV show coming to an end after a whopping five and a half years (take that, David Letterman), what do people think were some of Brendan O'Connor's most embarrassing moments?

Obviously, there was him interrupting a guest mid-sentence to tell him to remove a barely-visible pin from his jacket with the word 'Yes' on it (which, no matter what anyone says, makes no sense as Aodhán Ó Ríordáin was not and is not a paid full-time or freelance staff member at RTÉ).

My own personal pet peeve was telling Aisling Bea that, although she had gigs in Belfast, she had no upcoming shows "in Ireland" (not a Shinnerbot, but it seemed disrespectful to contradict a guest, especially considering the tens of thousands of Irish passport holders born and reared in Belfast).

Any others?

FluffyAngel · 01-06-2015 5:46am

calling himself a TV presenter..

he is proof that magic mirrors lie...

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 01-06-2015 8:12am

As soon as he opened his mouth....

Talentless, obnoxious, boring....

Caovyn Lineah · 01-06-2015 8:21am

Didn't the woman in that video also say she wasn't playing any shows in Ireland straight after he said it or did I hear wrong?

alchemist33 · 01-06-2015 8:22am

His Sunday Independent column.

All of them.

Trev De rev · 01-06-2015 8:24am

https://youtu.be/gX8xE_cqh1M maybe this starts about a minute in

redandwhite · 01-06-2015 8:36am

alchemist33 wrote: »

His Sunday Independent column.

All of them.

Even the ones where he argues for the rights of people with special needs, like his daughter?

Or the one where he eloquently expresses his love for that daughter?

We obviously have different ideas of what's embarrassing.

Annasopra · 01-06-2015 9:03am

alchemist33 wrote: »

His Sunday Independent column.

All of them.

99% of them. The 1% speaking about his experience as a father are intelligent and insightful.

AndyBoBandy · 01-06-2015 9:06am

His birth

20Cent · 01-06-2015 9:20am

The Pussy Riot interview. Hardcore feminists just out of the Gulag.
Referred to them as girls, asked what they think of Madonna and is she a freedom fighter like them.
Cringefest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0zgRhyrHo4

rubadub · 01-06-2015 9:32am

Caovyn Lineah wrote: »

Didn't the woman in that video also say she wasn't playing any shows in Ireland straight after he said it or did I hear wrong?

Sounded like she was about to say it before him.

He says something like "any gigs around ireland"

shes says "some in belfast, but none in, in, in"
and he finishes off her sentence "none in ireland"

Then she does say "none in ireland" which would confirm she was about to say it, no contradiction. The way the OP said it I was expecting something totally different.

Anytime I see a photo of him he looks like a sneering prick.

alchemist33 · 01-06-2015 9:34am

redandwhite wrote: »

Even the ones where he argues for the rights of people with special needs, like his daughter?

Or the one where he eloquently expresses his love for that daughter?

We obviously have different ideas of what's embarrassing.

Fair enough. Just the ones I read then.

harry Bailey esq · 01-06-2015 1:06pm

Why all the hate for Brendan? He's certainly a more capable interviewer than most of the other lot in the RTE stable. He does have a very kickable face in fairness, and his accent can be grating on the ears,but seems a decent sort from what I can see.

TwoShedsJackson · 01-06-2015 1:40pm

It's 2007, buy property now!!

dirtyden · 01-06-2015 1:48pm

His Fianna Fail cheer leading every sunday in the indo was certainly embarrassing, and then his volte face without ever referencing the many years of cheer leading without any lack of embarrassment on his behalf.

lertsnim · 01-06-2015 2:08pm

Any of the awful monologues delivered at the start of the show.

Schwiiing · 01-06-2015 2:09pm

Couldn't give less of a ****e about BOC but Aisling Bea is the single most beautiful woman in the world.

Into The Blue · 01-06-2015 2:11pm

redandwhite wrote: »

Even the ones where he argues for the rights of people with special needs, like his daughter?

Or the one where he eloquently expresses his love for that daughter?

We obviously have different ideas of what's embarrassing.

Yeah we do, I'd be very embarrassed to write a newspaper column telling randomers how much i love my daughters!!

Don't mind telling ye though,

I LOVE MY BABIES LOADS!! XXXX

Ash.J.Williams · 01-06-2015 2:12pm

Better show than the late late in fairness

Into The Blue · 01-06-2015 2:15pm

Ash.J.Williams wrote: »

Better show than the late late in fairness

That's not saying much

AndyBoBandy · 01-06-2015 2:25pm

Ash.J.Williams wrote: »

Better show than the late late in fairness

Give me 10 minutes on the toilet after a chicken madras the night before and ill produce a better show than the Late Late.

heldel00 · 01-06-2015 2:30pm

Who's in the house, Jesus in the house!!!

(20+posts in and it hasn't been mentioned!)

lertsnim · 01-06-2015 2:33pm

heldel00 wrote: »

(20+posts in and it hasn't been mentioned!)

For good reason

Laoislion8383 · 01-06-2015 2:36pm

The whole 5 and a half years, but even still it was better than the late late.

_Whimsical_ · 01-06-2015 2:55pm

Into The Blue wrote: »

Yeah we do, I'd be very embarrassed to write a newspaper column telling randomers how much i love my daughters!!

Don't mind telling ye though,

I LOVE MY BABIES LOADS!! XXXX

Well you'd be an idiot if that was so.
Brendan's openness about his daughters disability, the columns he's writen, guests he's chosen to have on his show and his sensitive treatment of them have actually gone along way towards actually changing things for the better for people right across Ireland.

He was the first person to highlight the scandal of medical cards being taken from seriously ill children and illustrate through an interview how devastating that was to real everyday families. That interview was quite pivotal in getting public momentum behind the issue and have cards reinstated to families and the rules looked at again.

His article about his own daughters experience trying to access special needs help in schools for mild to moderately disabled children with Downs was also the first time it was highlighted and it proved the catalyst for the dept of ed increasing educational provision for children in those situations.

Those things changed lives!

Then the Donal Walshe interview was some of the powerful tv we've seen in years and suicides in his home country did drop after it. The Panti interview changed the conversation on gay marriage and gay rights too. I think the whole referendum might have been quite different if that hadn't happened.

Those are all issues and ordinary people that would never have got an airing on other Irish shows and if they had they wouldn't have got the kind of sensitive treatment that would have actually changed thing.

I think he'll be a real loss to Irish tv and that the platform for ordinary people will be a loss to.

dickwod1 · 01-06-2015 3:51pm

This ...

http://www.herald.ie/news/courts/tv-man-lands-18500-payout-after-injury-on-brendan-show-28001078.html

Into The Blue · 01-06-2015 4:28pm

_Whimsical_ wrote: »

Well you'd be an idiot if that was so.

Just letting yourself down there..

Matt_Trakker · 01-06-2015 4:38pm

_Whimsical_ wrote: »

Well you'd be an idiot if that was so.
Brendan's openness about his daughters disability, the columns he's writen, guests he's chosen to have on his show and his sensitive treatment of them have actually gone along way towards actually changing things for the better for people right across Ireland.

He was the first person to highlight the scandal of medical cards being taken from seriously ill children and illustrate through an interview how devastating that was to real everyday families. That interview was quite pivotal in getting public momentum behind the issue and have cards reinstated to families and the rules looked at again.

His article about his own daughters experience trying to access special needs help in schools for mild to moderately disabled children with Downs was also the first time it was highlighted and it proved the catalyst for the dept of ed increasing educational provision for children in those situations.

Those things changed lives!

Then the Donal Walshe interview was some of the powerful tv we've seen in years and suicides in his home country did drop after it. The Panti interview changed the conversation on gay marriage and gay rights too. I think the whole referendum might have been quite different if that hadn't happened.

Those are all issues and ordinary people that would never have got an airing on other Irish shows and if they had they wouldn't have got the kind of sensitive treatment that would have actually changed thing.

I think he'll be a real loss to Irish tv and that the platform for ordinary people will be a loss to.

That's great that he loves his kids, 99% of parents do.
The medical cards thing was well known, O'Connor has never been and will never be an investigative journalist, he's just an opinion writer, he's no different that that O'Doherty lad. Just loud noises from a person who's been told all his life that he's something special.

The Donal Walshe interview was feckin disgusting. Complete exploitation by RTE on the poor chap. Cashing in on a chap that was dying. And his anti-suicide stance was just plain weird, raised-by-strict-Catholics weird.

As for Panti, if you're seriously suggesting that one interview lead to Ireland voting Yes then you're very much mistaken. O'Conner's ratings simply aren't that high. And to even suggest otherwise is just plain wrong. The only thing the Panti interview did was make Iona look even move devious, while also lining their pockets and highlighting that RTE are a shower of p!ssies for paying out instead of fighting the charge to the highest courts.

CFlat · 01-06-2015 5:43pm

While on occasions I use to dip in and out of his show I stopped watching it in earnest a couple of years ago. Back then it was like watching a lovely girls contest and I thought he was very patronising the way he talked to women. Mysoginistic is the word I would have used for him. IMO as a TV presenter he makes Ryan Tubridy look like Jeremy Paxman. I know I'm going to get slated for that.

For the sake of Boards though its a pity RTE didnt keep him in that slot cause if Ray D'arcys radio thread is anything to go by, Boards is going to go into cardiac arrest with alot of angry people giving out when Ray takes Brendans seat!!

I'm sure he's a decent man all the same and wish him well but he's not my cup of tea.

Anyway I think he's getting a mid-week slot so his supporters should be happy out.

ellejay · 01-06-2015 6:35pm

Excruciatingly embarrassing.
Every second of it.

I had listened to earlier interviews of Noel Gallagher and I was actually looking forward to watching him on the the Sat night. Genuinely thought Brendan O Connor couldn't muck that up - was I wrong....

cringe city.

valoren · 01-06-2015 6:45pm

When they let Linda Martin sing a cover of Get Lucky.

It was the worst thing that has ever happened and it happened on his watch. Shameful.

fin12 · 01-06-2015 6:48pm

I absolutely love Brendan O Connor, went to the Saturday night show twice and had a really good time and Brendan's really nice, he stays around after the show and meets and takes photos with people, My friend and I got our photo taken with him, hes lovely.

Il miss the Saturday night show now.

_Whimsical_ · 01-06-2015 7:22pm

Matt_Trakker wrote: »

That's great that he loves his kids, 99% of parents do.
The medical cards thing was well known, O'Connor has never been and will never be an investigative journalist, he's just an opinion writer, he's no different that that O'Doherty lad. Just loud noises from a person who's been told all his life that he's something special.

The Donal Walshe interview was feckin disgusting. Complete exploitation by RTE on the poor chap. Cashing in on a chap that was dying. And his anti-suicide stance was just plain weird, raised-by-strict-Catholics weird.

As for Panti, if you're seriously suggesting that one interview lead to Ireland voting Yes then you're very much mistaken. O'Conner's ratings simply aren't that high. And to even suggest otherwise is just plain wrong. The only thing the Panti interview did was make Iona look even move devious, while also lining their pockets and highlighting that RTE are a shower of p!ssies for paying out instead of fighting the charge to the highest courts.

It doesn't matter whether he's an investigative journalist, his sharing his own experience and bringing that experience to bear in his interviews did a lot to forward several important causes. The medical card thing took a turn after that interview, so did the education provision for children with DS.

Donal Walshes interview was the fulfillment of his dying wish. He had written about his desire to get that message out before he was on tv. It moved a lot of people. Say what you like the facts also stood for themselves, suicides in Kerry st least dropped in the months following the interview. There are most likely a few people alive now that wouldn't have been without it. Even if it's just one, that young man gave of his time and energy to to do that willingly, one was a success.

If you think that Iona losing credibility during that interview didn't influence the debate in the run up to the referendum you're dreaming. It wasn't all good in my opinion, the fact that people couldn't express an opinion on the no side without being met with hhostility and being called homophobe wasn't a good thing in my view. I do think that interview changed what was considered acceptable conversation on the issue though and went quite a way towards influencing the outcome too.

Into The Blue wrote: »

Just letting yourself down there..

I apologise for using the word idiot, sorry.

BuilderPlumber · 01-06-2015 7:29pm

_Whimsical_ wrote: »

Well you'd be an idiot if that was so.
Brendan's openness about his daughters disability, the columns he's writen, guests he's chosen to have on his show and his sensitive treatment of them have actually gone along way towards actually changing things for the better for people right across Ireland.

He was the first person to highlight the scandal of medical cards being taken from seriously ill children and illustrate through an interview how devastating that was to real everyday families. That interview was quite pivotal in getting public momentum behind the issue and have cards reinstated to families and the rules looked at again.

His article about his own daughters experience trying to access special needs help in schools for mild to moderately disabled children with Downs was also the first time it was highlighted and it proved the catalyst for the dept of ed increasing educational provision for children in those situations.

Those things changed lives!

Then the Donal Walshe interview was some of the powerful tv we've seen in years and suicides in his home country did drop after it. The Panti interview changed the conversation on gay marriage and gay rights too. I think the whole referendum might have been quite different if that hadn't happened.

Those are all issues and ordinary people that would never have got an airing on other Irish shows and if they had they wouldn't have got the kind of sensitive treatment that would have actually changed thing.

I think he'll be a real loss to Irish tv and that the platform for ordinary people will be a loss to.

I think the SNS with BO'C provided a good, entertaining and intelligent chatshow 90% of the time. Even with poor guests, he was able to get the best out of them and he always tried to deliver an entertaining show. Far superior to other chatshows of its times like Tubridy's LLS and Pat Kenny's The Frontline (which were too silly and too serious/depressing respectively). The SNS successfully combined serious discussion with entertainment very well.

BO'C's versatility shone throughout as well. Up until he presented the show, he was known mostly as a comedian and involved in things like You're a Star. But the SNS showed his range was much bigger than that and proved to be a much better presenter than his contemporaries like Tubridy and Kenny were doing on their shows at the same time.

MakeEmLaugh · 02-06-2015 12:42am

Caovyn Lineah wrote: »

Didn't the woman in that video also say she wasn't playing any shows in Ireland straight after he said it or did I hear wrong?

rubadub wrote: »

Sounded like she was about to say it before him.

He says something like "any gigs around ireland"

shes says "some in belfast, but none in, in, in"
and he finishes off her sentence "none in ireland"

Then she does say "none in ireland" which would confirm she was about to say it

He asked her if she was performing in Ireland. She replied that she was doing gigs in Belfast. Why mention Belfast? If it's not in Ireland, then mentioning Belfast is about as relevant as saying she has gigs coming up in Douglas, Isle of Man.

He finished her sentence for her. She could've have been saying "none in the rest of Ireland" or "none in Dublin" or "none in Kildare" (her home county) or "none in the Republic".

He's the one who said "none in Ireland".

PARlance · 02-06-2015 1:02am

MakeEmLaugh wrote: »

He asked her if she was performing in Ireland. She replied that she was doing gigs in Belfast. Why mention Belfast? If it's not in Ireland, then mentioning Belfast is about as relevant as saying she has gigs coming up in Douglas, Isle of Man.

He finished her sentence for her. She could've have been saying "none in the rest of Ireland" or "none in Dublin" or "none in Kildare" (her home county) or "none in the Republic".

He's the one who said "none in Ireland".

And then she says "I'm afraid all my Aunties will turn up if I do one in, in Ireland"

If you're going to start a thread slating someone then do it right, material isn't exactly lacking.

pmy.murphy · 02-06-2015 1:14am

Those fcuking cringe moments at the beginning of his show where he pathetically tries to be humerous.

SpaceTime · 02-06-2015 1:29am

FFS!
He's not too bad as a presenter and the show had its good moments.

Did none of you actually get that asking Aodhan to remove the pin was most likely a somewhat unsubtle, but clever, way of getting a good dig into RTE management and BAI over regulation over how he and the show were treated over PantiGate.?!

It highlighted how ridiculous the regulations are and went viral.

Whoosh - over some people's heads I suspect...

MakeEmLaugh · 02-06-2015 1:34am

SpaceTime wrote: »

Did none of you actually get that asking Aodhan to remove the pin was most likely a somewhat unsubtle, but clever, way of getting a good dig into RTE management and BAI over regulation over how he and the show were treated over PantiGate.?!

Whoosh - over some people's heads I suspect...

(a) There are other prepositions you can use besides "over", you know?

(b) I think you're giving him far too much credit.

SpaceTime · 02-06-2015 1:39am

MakeEmLaugh wrote: »

(a) There are other prepositions you can use besides "over", you know?

(b) I think you're giving him far too much credit.

Clap, clap! You can count!

(It's a comment on a forum posted on a phone in the wee hours of the morning, not a carefully worded letter to the Irish Times)

GaryTLynch · 02-06-2015 1:42am

The sooner this failed comedian leaves our screens, the BETTER!

OldMrBrennan83 · 02-06-2015 1:43am

This post has been deleted.

MakeEmLaugh · 02-06-2015 1:59am

Patww79 wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

My problem wasn't whether or not it's factually correct to say that Belfast isn't in Ireland. My problem was with him finishing her sentence for her, when we don't know what she was going to say (see post #35).

Saying that she has "[no shows] in Ireland" directly after she mentions having shows in Belfast makes her look like a fucking idiot.

joe swanson · 02-06-2015 7:26am

I think rte should be the ones that are embarrassed giving him the job.

Maybe slightly ott but his Bertie loving back in the day seems to be like it never happened. He also is an ardent anti public sector cheerleader.

Probably an ok fella but not as a presenter.

Grayditch · 02-06-2015 7:33am

Always looked like someone not cut out for the job of being a presenter. Anytime I've ever seen him on that show I've had to turn it off. He's not good at it. It's awkward.

amdublin · 02-06-2015 8:14am

_Whimsical_ wrote: »

The Panti interview changed the conversation on gay marriage and gay rights too. I think the whole referendum might have been quite different if that hadn't happened.

You are joking me!

While in retrospective things turned out ok and if pantigate hadn't happened nobel call wouldn't have happened...but for a while things looked pretty awful for Rory O'Neill.

RTE had paid out very quickly, and rory was being personally sued. And caused by Brenda imo. He ASKED and pushed rory to NAME the people. Rory said oh you know them from the Iona amd brennan again pushed him to actually say the names. What kind of broadcaster does that??? And what kind of organisation accepts that from the host and apologises the week after and blames the guest.

If I was rte brennan should've been taken off the air or taken off live TV after that - as he is just too much of a risk. He really showed his inexperience.

And frankly his uselessness "yeah, so eh, come here to me".
Finishing guests sentences??? What kind of presenter does that?

Strumms · 02-06-2015 8:54am

I never read his newspaper articles but based on what I see of him on the TV I wouldn't be in a rush to...

That Saturday night show was car crash TV. From the poorly delivered unfunny monologues at the start that saw him laughing along to his own jokes with more gusto then anyone in the audience or at home for that matter...Q the sound of a pin dropping ! to his absolutely tactless and clumsy nature when it came to interviewing people. Not cut out for the gig. Seemed like a bit of an asshole too. One would want to be fairly hard up for something to do on a Saturday night to tune into that.

Yamanoto · 02-06-2015 9:57am

BuilderPlumber wrote: »

BO'C's versatility shone throughout as well.

You've got to be kidding me,

Any time I had the misfortune to endure his particular crudfest, he came across as a lumpen oaf with about as much range as a Sinclair C5.

amdublin wrote: »

And frankly his uselessness "yeah, so eh, come here to me".
Finishing guests sentences??? What kind of presenter does that?

^^^
This

walkingshadow · 02-06-2015 1:18pm

At least it was a bit more alternative than the Late Late. I imagine D'Arcy's show will be heavy on the sob stories.

BuilderPlumber · 02-06-2015 4:20pm

amdublin wrote: »

You are joking me!

While in retrospective things turned out ok and if pantigate hadn't happened nobel call wouldn't have happened...but for a while things looked pretty awful for Rory O'Neill.

RTE had paid out very quickly, and rory was being personally sued. And caused by Brenda imo. He ASKED and pushed rory to NAME the people. Rory said oh you know them from the Iona amd brennan again pushed him to actually say the names. What kind of broadcaster does that??? And what kind of organisation accepts that from the host and apologises the week after and blames the guest.

If I was rte brennan should've been taken off the air or taken off live TV after that - as he is just too much of a risk. He really showed his inexperience.

And frankly his uselessness "yeah, so eh, come here to me".
Finishing guests sentences??? What kind of presenter does that?

This whole Pantigate thing was the lowest point of the show as far as I am concerned. Perhaps, this may be the reason Brendan is not going to do the show anymore? Which would be unfair. Every chatshow host pushes their guests to answer questions and the rivalry between the protagonists in this sorry affair was there already.

This was the proverbial storm in a teacup that took on a life of its own. A huge issue was made of it and imo lead to the death of this show. Which is a pity. It was the most infamous teacup storm since tweetgate ended another (inferior) chatshow. But having contentious issues on a show will always lead to something like this happening. Panti and the Iona people are all very much opposed to each other and I think we have seen our fair share of all of them over the past year and a half.

Brendan O'Connor's most embarrassing moments

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