Irish celebrities who suddenly vanished out of the spotlight

RabbleRouser2k · 10-08-2020 7:27pm

Hangdogroad wrote: »

O Gorman and Kevin Sharkey nearly came to blows behind the scenes apparently. Two deeply strange individuals.

Water John wrote: »

It showed O'Gorman was a very strange individual.

Tbf, there was a LOT of alcohol on the premises. As Sharkey spoke about after (he didn't do the LLS, he was on Eamon Dunphy's show instead) they were often without toilet paper, but there was plenty of alcohol.

So of course, keep em wasted drunk, and you got dramatics.

Tho Sharkey later went completely broke-lost all his money, and never recovered.

Apparently he was spending like crazy, split with his boyfriend, started dating women again. (Remember Sharkey was going to the European Court to demand he have the right to marry his boyfriend? This was years before the Marriage ref.).

Apparently Sharkey spent like there was no tomorrow. Even another artist, 'Guggi', said Sharkey was rather reckless with money. (Guggi was more careful with money-having a large family made him money conscious).

AndrewJRenko · 11-08-2020 12:29am

RabbleRouser2k wrote: »

Even another artist, 'Guggi', said Sharkey was rather reckless with money. (Guggi was more careful with money-having a large family made him money conscious).

I'd guess that having Bono as his best buddy allowed Guggi a little more freedom than most artists.

RabbleRouser2k · 11-08-2020 2:55am

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

I'd guess that having Bono as his best buddy allowed Guggi a little more freedom than most artists.

Well, the music career didn't really work out-so I'd say he knew how it can all fall apart so easily.

That and he has about 7 or 8 children, I think. Lots of mouths to feed.

Sharkey tried being a tv presenter (before my time, I must say-but I think reeling in the years would often show clips. Actually, come to think of it, rather bizarre RTE isn't showing much of Reeling in the years atm). Acting didn't work out (Cameo'd in Fr Ted). I think he tried music too. Wasn't he dating Sinead O' connor at one point?

Sharkey was also trying to be a politician... running for president or something.
Didn't get much support there either.

Guggi kind of knows that he can't complain if he finds success in some medium. But Sharkey keeps dipping his toes in, despite his doing pretty well in the art biz. He just seemed to drop the ball.

Hangdogroad · 11-08-2020 9:52am

RabbleRouser2k wrote: »

Well, the music career didn't really work out-so I'd say he knew how it can all fall apart so easily.

That and he has about 7 or 8 children, I think. Lots of mouths to feed.

Sharkey tried being a tv presenter (before my time, I must say-but I think reeling in the years would often show clips. Actually, come to think of it, rather bizarre RTE isn't showing much of Reeling in the years atm). Acting didn't work out (Cameo'd in Fr Ted). I think he tried music too. Wasn't he dating Sinead O' connor at one point?

Sharkey was also trying to be a politician... running for president or something.
Didn't get much support there either.

Guggi kind of knows that he can't complain if he finds success in some medium. But Sharkey keeps dipping his toes in, despite his doing pretty well in the art biz. He just seemed to drop the ball.

Starkey Co presented a music show called Megamix with Flo Macsweeny circa 86 87. He vanished out of the spotlight after that for a while. Turned out he'd moved to Japan for a few years. I remember when he still with RTE the Sunday World showed ran a story that he'd appeared in nude photos in a gay magazine in England in the 70s complete with said photos. I don't know if that had any bearing with him departing from RTE but it might have given the attitude at the time.

Muahahaha · 11-08-2020 1:32pm

RabbleRouser2k wrote: »

Tho Sharkey later went completely broke-lost all his money, and never recovered.

Sharkey has had somewhat of a recovery- he had an exhibit in Malahide just last weekend and sold out everything, I think it was around 40 paintings ranging in price from 1.5k up to 8k. So he is back on his feet at least to some extent.

But yeah in the boom he completely overextended himself. He had a galleries in London, New York and Ibiza all at the same time. The value of his paintings got a huge boost after Charles Saatchi became a collector and Sharkey tried to capitalise by making it a production line. But then the recession hit the art market hard and his gallieries failed.

At one point circa 2009 he had a small shop in Temple Bar where he personally sold his art, I popped in one day and had to resist the urge to ask him about Father Ted. He ran a promotion where everything was 500 euro, it was like a firesale of his art. A sister of mine bought one, beautiful piece that she still has in her living room.

Water John · 11-08-2020 1:36pm

Quite often people with a specific talent are better off having someone they can trust, do the business operational end of the business.

odyssey06 · 11-08-2020 2:13pm

Water John wrote: »

Quite often people with a specific talent are better off having someone they can trust, do the business operational end of the business.

In theory yes, but sometimes the person they think they can trust is the one who vanishes ... with their money

TomSweeney · 11-08-2020 2:16pm

Anyone remember Six ?

Pop group that won some sort of "Ireland's got talent" show about 20 years ago.

odyssey06 · 11-08-2020 2:42pm

TomSweeney wrote: »

Anyone remember Six ?

Pop group that won some sort of "Ireland's got talent" show about 20 years ago.

I can't remember the music so much as...

I remember that Nadine Coyle (Girls Aloud) was chosen then found out to be 16...
And Emma went on to present RTE kids shows?

... but after googling "There's A Whole Lotta Loving Going On" is starting to play in my mind.

OIP.Cn62geh1fmxfpkX40SU5hwHaE7?pid=Api&rs=1

OIP.Cn62geh1fmxfpkX40SU5hwHaE7?pid=Api&rs=1

Hangdogroad · 11-08-2020 2:59pm

odyssey06 wrote: »

I can't remember the music so much as...

I remember that Nadine Coyle (Girls Aloud) was chosen then found out to be 16...
And Emma went on to present RTE kids shows?

... but after googling "There's A Whole Lotta Loving Going On" is starting to play in my mind.

Sinead Shepherd became a councillor in Cobh afterwards and would pop up in panto. Other than the other two you mentioned that's the depth of my knowledge on them.

odyssey06 · 11-08-2020 3:05pm

Hangdogroad wrote: »

Sinead Shepherd became a councillor in Cobh afterwards and would pop up in panto. Other than the other two you mentioned that's the depth of my knowledge on them.

Wikipedia tells me that...
Liam McKenna is a TV presenter and tour manager for Jedward.

So we have a vanishing celebrity squared alert. Bonus points there.

And I found this interesting:
Following 'Popstars' being broadcast in New Zealand, Norway and South Africa, their debut single also charted in these countries, peaking at number six in New Zealand, reaching the top 5 in Norway, Poland and Iceland, and peaking at number two in Sweden.

RabbleRouser2k · 12-08-2020 12:44am

Buddy of mine did some work with Emma (she also does panto) - apparently a very nice person. Even when she was working on TV, there were no airs or graces about her.

She got married a while back, and has at least one kid.

She was on a tv show years back, Inside 252, and she got some serious bullying from Amanda Brunker and Fiona McShane (memba her?). Nasty, bitter stuff altogether. (Brunker continued it long after, in the Sunday World-said Emma had gotten plastic surgery and all that jazz.)

And then Brunker and McShane were rewarded for their bullying... by being given their own (separate) TV shows. (Their shows tanked-they were atrocious, both of them).

skooterblue2 · 12-08-2020 9:45am

TomSweeney wrote: »

Anyone remember Six ?

Pop group that won some sort of "Ireland's got talent" show about 20 years ago.

That was a "proving ground" for Xfactor/Britians got talent. They proved you could sell the show to a national audience and get them rooting for "team" and either phoning in and/or watching weekly with updates.

The show succeeded and the band failed but who cares Simon and Louis got their foot hold TV show. Then all they wanted was sponsorship. Has to be one of the dumbest forms of entertainment I have seen on TV, barely being pipped by big brother shows.

RabbleRouser2k · 12-08-2020 10:38am

skooterblue2 wrote: »

That was a "proving ground" for Xfactor/Britians got talent. They proved you could sell the show to a national audience and get them rooting for "team" and either phoning in and/or watching weekly with updates.

The show succeeded and the band failed but who cares Simon and Louis got their foot hold TV show. Then all they wanted was sponsorship. Has to be one of the dumbest forms of entertainment I have seen on TV, barely being pipped by big brother shows.

Tbf, Cowell was already making money on shows like Pop Idol, and PopStars in the UK preceded the Irish one.

Tho Popstars (the Irish show) did have early appearances from the likes of Una Healy, and Brian Ormond. (God, Ormond was in plenty of groups that went nowhere-even prior to doing the reality tv rounds).

Pawwed Rig · 12-08-2020 10:45am

RabbleRouser2k wrote: »

Buddy of mine did some work with Emma (she also does panto) - apparently a very nice person. Even when she was working on TV, there were no airs or graces about her.

Might have missed something but who is Emma?

odyssey06 · 12-08-2020 10:48am

Pawwed Rig wrote: »

Might have missed something but who is Emma?

Am assuming it's Emma from Six...

Hangdogroad · 12-08-2020 10:49am

odyssey06 wrote: »

Am assuming it's Emma from Six...

Emma O Driscoll who went on to present the Den, it might have been called something else by that time.

Pawwed Rig · 12-08-2020 12:53pm

Oh ok. Wasn't aware that you were still talking about 6.

skooterblue2 · 12-08-2020 7:04pm

RabbleRouser2k wrote: »

God, Ormond was in plenty of groups that went nowhere-even prior to doing the reality tv rounds.

Did you ever think that set a pattern for his life? Lol.
You know what happened there? He borrowed money from Tubbs and few others. What ever he borrowed it for or investments didnt work out so "someone" called the Viper on him. Lets give the Viper his due, he was a political prisoner (INLA), and bombmaker btw he also is into Bridge and competitive knitting. nice guy all round. When he is on your case you pay. He is now all legal and has debt collection agency, kind of like a travel agency but he doesnt wear a scarf around his neck, but he will put a leather belt around your neck instead.

So Brian Ormond is married to the model Pippa O Connor sister of Cian O Connor the disgraced show jumper.

skooterblue2 · 12-08-2020 7:06pm

RabbleRouser2k wrote: »

and Brian Ormond.

That is the great thing about money, if you throw enough money at a problem you can get to the top but it is no substitute for talent. Never say €50k at the Billie Barry school was wasted.

RabbleRouser2k · 12-08-2020 11:47pm

skooterblue2 wrote: »

Did you ever think that set a pattern for his life? Lol.
You know what happened there? He borrowed money from Tubbs and few others. What ever he borrowed it for or investments didnt work out so "someone" called the Viper on him. Lets give the Viper his due, he was a political prisoner (INLA), and bombmaker btw he also is into Bridge and competitive knitting. nice guy all round. When he is on your case you pay. He is now all legal and has debt collection agency, kind of like a travel agency but he doesnt wear a scarf around his neck, but he will put a leather belt around your neck instead.

So Brian Ormond is married to the model Pippa O Connor sister of Cian O Connor the disgraced show jumper.

Oh yeah, he borrowed money as part of some 'investment' scheme (ie scam) that was meant to pay off dividends for those involved. Problem was, some of those who he got to sign on to the scheme were pretty much regular joe soaps.
They couldn't afford to lose 40 grand.

As all this was going on, Brian was hosting that 'Winning Streak' summer fill in show (that aired on youtube, not on TV). Wasn't a good look for the Lottery to have this Money Launderer (dunno what else you'd call it) hosting the show, especially with the big money promo it had been involved in.

He screwed himself. Can't really blame anyone else.

And yeah... Pippa..went from a chunky girl to the lady now. Sadly, still looks like a horse.

ButtersSuki · 12-08-2020 11:50pm

RabbleRouser2k wrote: »

Oh yeah, he borrowed money as part of some 'investment' scheme (ie scam) that was meant to pay off dividends for those involved. Problem was, some of those who he got to sign on to the scheme were pretty much regular joe soaps.
They couldn't afford to lose 40 grand.

As all this was going on, Brian was hosting that 'Winning Streak' summer fill in show (that aired on youtube, not on TV). Wasn't a good look for the Lottery to have this Money Launderer (dunno what else you'd call it) hosting the show, especially with the big money promo it had been involved in.

He screwed himself. Can't really blame anyone else.

And yeah... Pippa..went from a chunky girl to the lady now. Sadly, still looks like a horse.

Any articles on this Ormond “scam”? I’d love to read/learn more.....

Muahahaha · 13-08-2020 12:32pm

yeah had never heard of that Ormond investment thing but he strikes me as not very smart so it makes sense. AFAIK he is working for Pippa these days and her influencing. Pippa is definitely making bank flogging clothes and make up because a few years back she was moaning about her huge Tiger mortgage in Ratoath but when the Instagram thing took off she sold up and bought a house on the grounds of the K Club.

skooterblue2 · 13-08-2020 12:42pm

Muahahaha wrote: »

yeah had never heard of that Ormond investment thing but he strikes me as not very smart so it makes sense. AFAIK he is working for Pippa these days and her influencing. Pippa is definitely making bank flogging clothes and make up because a few years back she was moaning about her huge Tiger mortgage in Ratoath but when the Instagram thing took off she sold up and bought a house on the grounds of the K Club.

Just because you got a plumb job in RTE means nothing only that you got degree from Dublin Business School (daddy bought scholarship). Gaybo was the same, everyone and their mother conned money out of him, including Simon Harris Grandfather. "The stock market and investments is no place for widows and orphans". 90% of people lose 90% of their wealth in 90 days, its known as the 90/90/90 rule.

skooterblue2 · 13-08-2020 12:50pm

RabbleRouser2k wrote: »

As all this was going on, Brian was hosting that 'Winning Streak' summer fill in show (that aired on youtube, not on TV). Wasn't a good look for the Lottery to have this Money Launderer (dunno what else you'd call it) hosting the show, especially with the big money promo it had been involved in.

The crowd that used to run the Irish National Lottery run 80% of the lotterys world wide. I used to work for subcontractor of theirs. They had friends with interests in the hospitality industry in Las Vegas if you know what I mean. Now I couldnt see the money being paid out but from the ticket sales I could see every week that they sold EIGHT times more than what the Jackpot was worth, if the jackpot was won that week. Crazy stuff. The Lottery is a proportional tax on stupidity

RabbleRouser2k · 13-08-2020 10:02pm

skooterblue2 wrote: »

Just because you got a plumb job in RTE means nothing only that you got degree from Dublin Business School (daddy bought scholarship). Gaybo was the same, everyone and their mother conned money out of him, including Simon Harris Grandfather. "The stock market and investments is no place for widows and orphans". 90% of people lose 90% of their wealth in 90 days, its known as the 90/90/90 rule.

Brian doesn't have that-he's a qualified electrician, from what I remember. (But qualifications mean squat-you gotta have the 'it' factor).

I think it was just how dodgy the whole deal was (not just that the Viper was called in to collect), and that Brian called in Gerald Kean to bail him out, left you knowing how serious the whole thing was.

Wasn't it Eoghan Murphy's grandfather who conned money out of him? And it was Ryan Tubridy's grandfather who tried to get the Late Late show axed.

Muahahaha wrote: »

yeah had never heard of that Ormond investment thing but he strikes me as not very smart so it makes sense. AFAIK he is working for Pippa these days and her influencing.

Brian was never the brightest- I'd say the Oil deal was the final straw with whoever was employing him.

Pippa's on the rte homepage flogging the 'fashion' again. When him and Pippa sold the rights to their wedding to RTE, I think even their mildest critics saw them for the fart sniffers they were.

RabbleRouser2k · 14-08-2020 12:55am

Speaking of someone who completely vanished out of the spotlight, anyone remember Kathleen O'Rourke?

She was a standup comedienne, wrote and starred in 'Granny O'Grimm's Sleeping Beauty' which was nominated for an Oscar back in 2010.

Saw her do standup on tv a few times. She wasn't bad. Lost a lot of weight after she did that standup.

Case in point, pictured at some parade in 2010-she's obviously not the guy with the beard.

Graiguecullen-St.-Patricks-Day-Parade-2010-07.jpg

GT89 · 14-08-2020 12:57am

Craig Doyle haven't seen him on Irish or UK TV in years

thesandeman · 14-08-2020 1:09am

GT89 wrote: »

Craig Doyle haven't seen him on Irish or UK TV in years

He must have done a disappearing act.

Hangdogroad · 14-08-2020 5:48am

RabbleRouser2k wrote: »

Pippa's on the rte homepage flogging the 'fashion' again. When him and Pippa sold the rights to their wedding to RTE, I think even their mildest critics saw them for the fart sniffers they were.

RTE were worse for making and putting out that poxy "documentary".

Skid X · 14-08-2020 8:37am

GT89 wrote: »

Craig Doyle haven't seen him on Irish or UK TV in years

He is the lead Rugby anchor on BT Sport and does lots of Voiceover work

Still busy although not on our screens all the time like he was back in the day

RabbleRouser2k · 14-08-2020 9:11am

Hangdogroad wrote: »

RTE were worse for making and putting out that poxy "documentary".

RTE have put out some of the worst supposed 'documentaries' you will see on TV.

A documentary is meant to educate you, or make you consider an opinion. Start out with one view, end up with another view-or leave the whole show after being like 'wow-my mind is blown'. (A great documentary that leaves you spent and undecided whilst also not being preachy is Capturing the Friedmans. It's a tragic, disturbing documentary).

RTE made stuff like 'Asking for it'-where Louise O'Neill, in the opening ten minutes, literally 'believe women'... and ends on that statement.
Never deviates

That's not a documentary-that's a failure.

Beechwoodspark · 14-08-2020 9:13am

skooterblue2 wrote: »

Just because you got a plumb job in RTE means nothing only that you got degree from Dublin Business School (daddy bought scholarship). Gaybo was the same, everyone and their mother conned money out of him, including Simon Harris Grandfather. "The stock market and investments is no place for widows and orphans". 90% of people lose 90% of their wealth in 90 days, its known as the 90/90/90 rule.

Simon Harris grandfather?

Beechwoodspark · 14-08-2020 9:14am

Hangdogroad wrote: »

O Gorman and Kevin Sharkey nearly came to blows behind the scenes apparently. Two deeply strange individuals.

Very true. Oddballs the two of them

Beechwoodspark · 14-08-2020 9:17am

Muahahaha wrote: »

Sharkey has had somewhat of a recovery- he had an exhibit in Malahide just last weekend and sold out everything, I think it was around 40 paintings ranging in price from 1.5k up to 8k. So he is back on his feet at least to some extent.

But yeah in the boom he completely overextended himself. He had a galleries in London, New York and Ibiza all at the same time. The value of his paintings got a huge boost after Charles Saatchi became a collector and Sharkey tried to capitalise by making it a production line. But then the recession hit the art market hard and his gallieries failed.

At one point circa 2009 he had a small shop in Temple Bar where he personally sold his art, I popped in one day and had to resist the urge to ask him about Father Ted. He ran a promotion where everything was 500 euro, it was like a firesale of his art. A sister of mine bought one, beautiful piece that she still has in her living room.

He still has a place on south Frederick st but the place he had out at the development beside the point depot appears to be closed any time I’ve passed it in the last year or so

Beechwoodspark · 14-08-2020 9:20am

Hangdogroad wrote: »

Very strange chap. He used to write a column in the Cork Examiner in the 90s where I remember he once claimed Aids can't be spread by hetro sex. Always got a weird vibe off him either on radio print or TV.

as they say “suffers from his nerves”

years ago By chance I observed him and a radio crew doing a recording in donnybrook village and he was berating and squabbling with his producer or whoever it was, between takes.

It was unpleasant. A very highly strung individual

Brock Turnpike · 14-08-2020 9:31am

Beechwoodspark wrote: »

He still has a place on south Frederick st but the place he had out at the development beside the point depot appears to be closed any time I’ve passed it in the last year or so

Thank you. I knew I saw him in his art gallery somewhere recently. Was racking my brain trying to remember where.

Beechwoodspark · 14-08-2020 9:34am

Brock Turnpike wrote: »

Thank you. I knew I saw him in his art gallery somewhere recently. Was racking my brain trying to remember where.

Yeah bit of an odd location.

Possibly Harry Crosby involved in providing it there

Can’t imagine you would get much footfall or random drop ins from the street there

RabbleRouser2k · 14-08-2020 11:42am

Beechwoodspark wrote: »

as they say “suffers from his nerves”

years ago By chance I observed him and a radio crew doing a recording in donnybrook village and he was berating and squabbling with his producer or whoever it was, between takes.

It was unpleasant. A very highly strung individual

He used to be able to get the 'mundane' people to genuinely open up, and you'd see they were far from mundane.

IF whatever was bugging O'Gorman he'd managed to get under control, he could have been a genuine talent.

Yyhhuuu · 15-08-2020 11:52am

skooterblue2 wrote: »

Just because you got a plumb job in RTE means nothing only that you got degree from Dublin Business School (daddy bought scholarship). Gaybo was the same, everyone and their mother conned money out of him, including Simon Harris Grandfather. "The stock market and investments is no place for widows and orphans". 90% of people lose 90% of their wealth in 90 days, its known as the 90/90/90 rule.

That is incorrect about Simon Harris's grandfather conning Gay Byrne. It was the late Russell Murphy who embezzled Gay Byrne as Byrne entrusted him with a Power of Attorney. Not only did Russell Murphy steal money but he also ran up huge debts in Gay's name.

skooterblue2 · 15-08-2020 2:48pm

Yyhhuuu wrote: »

That is incorrect about Simon Harris's grandfather conning Gay Byrne. It was the late Russell Murphy who embezzled Gay Byrne as Byrne entrusted him with a Power of Attorney. Not only did Russell Murphy steal money but he also ran up huge debts in Gay's name.

Apologies it was Minister Eoghan Murphy grandfather. Another dunce. How do these clowns get elected?

Beechwoodspark · 15-08-2020 3:15pm

RabbleRouser2k wrote: »

He used to be able to get the 'mundane' people to genuinely open up, and you'd see they were far from mundane.

IF whatever was bugging O'Gorman he'd managed to get under control, he could have been a genuine talent.

His show was called o Gormans people

He used to hang around churches and grave yards and plague people with questions, that was my memory of it - it certainly wasn’t anything too exciting

ShamNNspace · 15-08-2020 3:41pm

Deandre Melted Glue wrote: »

I don't like the way he makes programmes always, as far as i know, about people who are less well off. 'Queing for a living' was in queues at social welfare places etc and now i think courts. They do not appear to see how clever he is giving them a 'voice' while he gets paid.

I didn't know about the AIDS

Ah I don't know it was good to hear people talk about their own lives in their own words instead of having their words filtered through some advocate group or other, a kind of oral history

Water John · 15-08-2020 3:57pm

No problem with the actual programme. As you say, peoples own words largely unfiltered.

Hangdogroad · 15-08-2020 3:59pm

Beechwoodspark wrote: »

His show was called o Gormans people

He used to hang around churches and grave yards and plague people with questions, that was my memory of it

He used to come across a bit leery when interviewing attractive young women. The normally hit and miss Bull Island nailed this perfectly in one of their sketches where they took the piss out of him.

Muahahaha · 15-08-2020 4:11pm

Skid X wrote: »

He is the lead Rugby anchor on BT Sport and does lots of Voiceover work

Still busy although not on our screens all the time like he was back in the day

Craig Doyle got into a bit of hot water back in 2004 when the BBC made him their anchor for the Athens Olympics. He was a disaster because it came quickly apparent that he knew next to nothing about athletics and viewers who did were pissed of that the BBC hired him just for his looks

The BBC's head of sport has leapt to the defence of embattled sports presenter Craig Doyle, after his role as one of BBC's Olympics anchors drew criticism from viewers and sports commentators.
Peter Salmon was forced to defend the 33-year-old former Holiday presenter after he was vilified by some viewers as a "moron" and a "himbo," who looked the part but knew "nothing" about Olympic sports.

Mr Salmon admitted the BBC had received complaints from viewers about the Irishman"s presenting style but said ratings for its Olympic coverage showed he was "one of the BBC's most popular presenters" on the sports roster.
"On some evenings up to 11 million people were watching the Olympics on the BBC but we received only a dozen complaints about Craig's presenting style during the whole of the games," Mr Salmon wrote in a letter to the Sunday Independent in Ireland.
Mr Salmon wrote the letter after the paper published a front page article headlined "Craig Doyle 'hated' in Britain". In the article journalist Lara Bradley interviewed the presenter's parents, who spoke of their "hurt" over a "vitriolic" campaign against Doyle, whose Olympic performance was widely slated.
Despite a CV that includes presenting BBC rugby, golf, horseracing, tennis and super bike racing, viewers said the Irishman lacked sufficient sports knowledge for the role. "Why Craig Doyle? Is this just because he is the best-looking man the BBC could come up with?" Labour MP Chris Bryant said halfway through the games.
On the BBC's own bulletin boards, Olympics fans were less kind. One called the 33-year-old Irishman a "buffoon," while another said his knowledge of sport would "just about cover the back of a postage stamp".
"Absolutely agree about appalling decision to let Doyle loose on sports commentary - he knows NOTHING!! And please keep him away from the Travel programme too!" wrote another.
"His naivety and condescending manner have stopped our family watching what was once an enjoyable programme."
Sir Paul Fox, a former BBC TV boss and now sports columnist at the Daily Telegraph, was also unforgiving.
"With the best will in the world, I find Craig Doyle unsuitable as a sports broadcaster. He has the looks, he has the Irish charm, but he has no feel for sport and at the Olympics he was out of his depth," he said.

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2004/sep/06/broadcasting.bbc

Beechwoodspark · 15-08-2020 5:00pm

Hangdogroad wrote: »

He used to come across a bit leery when interviewing attractive young women. The normally hit and miss Bull Island nailed this perfectly in one of their sketches where they took the piss out of him.

Yep that’s true. He’d ask sort of provocative questions to them.

He also would go from “0-60” in terms of mood swings at times. A bit unstable I suppose.

His “trade mark” was his little jack russel dog and he usually had a hat on, people would literally say they recognized him because of the dog and the hat.

ShamNNspace · 15-08-2020 5:07pm

Hangdogroad wrote: »

Sinead Shepherd became a councillor in Cobh afterwards and would pop up in panto. Other than the other two you mentioned that's the depth of my knowledge on them.

I did know the father of Sarah Keating fairly well, all I can say is that he had a very low opinion of Louis walshe. Shes married in london now away from the limelight though shes still a great singer like her father of old showband stock

skooterblue2 · 15-08-2020 5:16pm

ShamNNspace wrote: »

I did know the father of Sarah Keating fairly well, all I can say is that he had a very low opinion of Louis walshe. Shes married in london now away from the limelight though shes still a great singer like her father of old showband stock

I know someone semi famous who was with Louis Walsh in his early days. You have to remember that i think 1 in 50 artists signed will make it. The other 49 fall by the wayside. I always thought Simon Cowell was a right PoS being mean. He is actually doing you a favour telling you, you arent going to make it or this isnt the right industry for you. In fact playing pubs and clubs at the weekend is completely different to working full time in a band.

Its a crap industry unless you are in the top 0.0001% and you are still bled out by record labels, accountants, lawyers and entourage that are deemed necessarily. You can have the No.1 album in the states and still go bankrupt. There are much easier ways to make a living.

RabbleRouser2k · 15-08-2020 8:35pm

Beechwoodspark wrote: »

His show was called o Gormans people

He used to hang around churches and grave yards and plague people with questions, that was my memory of it - it certainly wasn’t anything too exciting

He'd often turn up to other places, meet the odd eccentric who was entertaining. It wasn't just graveyards, even somewhere mundane like a car boot sale would throw out some interesting characters.

Sad to hear about the AIDS thing, but there was so much misinformation going around then about the disease (some still believed it could be spread by breathing in air from an infected person) that his opinions on the disease were probably based in a generally ignorant, Catholic mandated Ireland.
Homosexuality was illegal in Ireland up until 1993. So the times were still odd.

skooterblue2 wrote: »

I know someone semi famous who was with Louis Walsh in his early days. You have to remember that i think 1 in 50 artists signed will make it. The other 49 fall by the wayside. I always thought Simon Cowell was a right PoS being mean. He is actually doing you a favour telling you, you arent going to make it or this isnt the right industry for you. In fact playing pubs and clubs at the weekend is completely different to working full time in a band.

Its a crap industry unless you are in the top 0.0001% and you are still bled out by record labels, accountants, lawyers and entourage that are deemed necessarily. You can have the No.1 album in the states and still go bankrupt. There are much easier ways to make a living.

Back when Cowell was honest, yes, he could be very helpful. Unfortunately, he saw that money could be made from even the most untalented individual, so he stopped caring.

I know Samantha Mumba blames everyone and their granny for her failed career.
Dave Fanning, Louis Walsh, among a few others.

But the 'Popstars' bands (in UK/ US/ Ireland etc etc) had extremely short shelf lives (12 months maximum, and that's being generous). Pop Idol had a better success, but only marginally so.

Irish celebrities who suddenly vanished out of the spotlight

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