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THERE MIGHT HAVE been some complaints about Kerry TD Michael Healy-Rae guest presenting the Tonight Show in September, but it turns out plenty of politicians wanted to follow suit.
One of the show’s two presenters Matt Cooper made the revelation at the launch of Virgin Media Television’s new spring schedule this morning in Dublin. When asked about the plans for the show this year, he said that he’d continue doing four nights a week, with his co-presenter Ivan Yates doing three (due to back issues) – leaving the door open for another co-presenter one night a week.
Rather than go for a permanent stand-in, the Tonight Show has opted thus far for a revolving door of different presenters, including TheJournal.ie‘s news editor Sinéad O’Carroll.
The decision to choose a politician – particularly one as colourful as Michael Healy-Rae – as guest presenter one night didn’t go down well in some quarters. But it certainly attracted the attention of some in Leinster House.
“For all the criticism it’s amazing the amount of politicians who asked if they could do it,” said Cork native Cooper when asked about the reaction to Healy-Rae stepping in.
Will more politicians be put in front of the autocue? “That is not my call, that is not my decision,” he said. “We haven’t done another politician since the time Michael Healy-Rae was on. It was one night, I know some people tried to say it was more than that but it was one night.”
He went on: “I think we’ll develop as we go along and see what other people are out there. But there are lots of people, your own Sinéad O’Carroll would be someone who would have been one of the more regular people that we would use, and there will be some people but it won’t be the same person every week.”
We’ve tried different people, some have worked very well others have worked not so well. There are new names who will be doing it over the next few weeks. So we’ll see. I don’t see that we will have a permanent guest replacement for Ivan, we’ll continue with just having different people coming in and hopefully that will give us what people want to see.
Finding their feet
The show has been on air for 15 months, and Cooper said that he and Yates are still establishing themselves. “It took a little while for us to get used to the way each other did it, and the production teams to how we would do it,” he said of their presenting styles. “You’re always refining and you’re always trying to improve what you’re doing.”
After a few weeks off air during the Christmas break, they are now back before in studio. “Last night, the first night back [we had] what we thought was really the type of programme we wanted to do. We had really good guests, really good conversation, intelligent conversation, provocative, a few rows between people, some good laughs,” said Cooper.
“I think there is going to be a thing if people are going to be watching politics at 11pm at night they have to be entertained, and there is an element of that. We’re not trying to be po-faced, we’re not taking ourselves too seriously, we’re taking the things that are serious seriously.”
‘As a TV presenter you’re not a player’
Regarding his 2018 Tonight Show highlights, he said that the final Eighth Amendment Referendum debate with Micheál Martin and Mary Lou McDonald up against Declan Ganley was “really good, really serious, authoritative”.
“So when we have to do that type of stuff we will, and we will treat all the elections and everything with the respect and seriousness that they deserve, but at the same time I think you know we are aware that we are there almost to put a smile on people’s face going to bed as well,” he said.
In fairness I think Vincent [Browne] did that as well. Vincent was in the entertainment business as well. Now we do it differently and the times are different, so I’d be reasonably confident that we can continue developing it over the next six months, or till the end of July in this run.
With a political talkshow on four nights a week, Cooper has undoubtedly seen similar topics come up time and time again on the Tonight Show (never mind that he also presents a talk show, the Last Word, on Today FM weekday evenings).
Does he tire of seeing the same topics come up again and again with no sign of them being solved by the powers that be?
“I’m a working journalist for, I hate to say it, 30 years since I left college, and I’m well aware how long it takes to actually get change in anything,” he told TheJournal.ie. “But there’s always new things and there’s always new angles, and I think there’s always things that I find very interesting to explore on behalf of the viewers or on radio on behalf of the listeners. You can’t let yourself become frustrated by it.
You also got to remember as a TV presenter you’re not a player, you’re not a participant, we’re there to examine and we’re there to probe but … we’re not the ones responsible for finding the solutions. Yeah, we try and tease out solutions from the people who have the responsibility, but ultimately it comes down to them to deliver or not.
The Tonight Show airs on Virgin Media One from Monday – Thursday at 11pm.
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There’s an awful lot of this happening the past week or maybe it’s just that its being reported on. Hope the staff recover soon :)
How the hell does one make a get away from the blanch centre? I have never managed to get away from it in less than twenty minutes! Hope the chap is ok
Sc um bags.
Not much use to the guys who took the cash as they will have dye packs that will explode after s couple of minutes hope it blinds the snackers!
They can change the money in the cash machines in the likes of the leisure plex. Machines can pick up on the dye.
Nope my friend its easily removed place the cash box in hot water with loads of colour catcher and bleach, dye is removed from all notes apart from fivers because they are a low quality note … I’m sure this comment will be removed but it a fact !
Was he not wearing his company issue helmet ?
That probably why his injuries arent serious..
So helmet will take full impact of axe or iron bar across the head? ?
I love the level of intelligence on many commentators.
Wish the man a speedy recovery
Where does it say “Axe” in the story?
Where did the not say axe or iron bar?. Your hardly gonna hold up a security van with a foot long floppy rubber dildo are you?
Rumour has it they don’t wear them anymore as they had issues from being blindsided when being robbed. Hope they guy is ok dangerous work for little money.
Gaurdian
I asked a relevant question, i didnt make a statement, as for the helmet, i have seen more CIT staff with no helmet carrying boxs of cash in and out of busines’s and ATM machines than i have seen with a helmet. So if he was not wearing it, and i repeat, “not wearing” it then his trip to the hospital might well have been avoided, on a seperate issue who are you to pass judgement on my level of inteligence, did you notice the question mark at the end of my original question, this indicates i was asking a question, and you dont say ” I love the level of intelligence on many commentators” the correct grammer is “I love the level of intelligence of many commentators”
Did they shout “YOU WILL NOT TAKE OUR FREEDOM!!” before or after the robbery?
Dorry John for getting your back on the level of your common sense. Which would kind of lead you to the common sense conclusion that policy would be they wear P.P.E out of secure van. Oh apologies thats personal protective equipment. Standard for health and safety reasons and regardless of rumour must be worn.
So again I say the level of intelligent input in this site is sadly lacking at times. Thank you so very much for pointing that out.
Also grammatically you will have to take that up with the lovely auto correct system designers for Samsung.
Sorry *** case in point about auto correction
Also should be *******getting your back up******
@John Meade. Grammar not grammer.
how blanch Security didn’t spot the two guys with all the cameras they have. The two men were hiding in the bushes net to that atm, when the van pulled up they go out and attacked. I am sure some people seen the guys in the bushes but didn’t think twice about them.
Yrs ago I was arriving at the centre on a bus and I seen a car parked up on the path outside the post office doors with 4 men sitting inside .. U could clearly see them dressed in black with balaclavas and a gun .. How security didn’t go to check why the car was parked up on the path that far in is strange … They need to get proper security gaurds !
guys with guns with nothing to lose, a security guard unarmed with everything to lose, they made the right choice, why would they risk their life for money thats insured
They are too busy harassing teenagers and acting like Hartman .. Wana be coppers
I didn’t mean I expectd them to approach them with guns , my point was that the security did notice them in the first place .. Which shouldn’t have been hard as we’re the car was is a footpath in from the road a bit should have been easily noticed and it wasn’t !
Just driving the 7 min drive home and saw eight “02 D” black BMWs. Wonder which one it was…
I was in the UK recently, I noticed G4S staff there wearing helmets & body armour/stab vest? I wonder why they don’t supply them for their staff here…I don’t think Dublin is any less dangerous than London? Anyway, hope the security guy has a speedy recovery. Tough job.
I was in the UK recently, I noticed that G4S staff there wear helmets & body armour/stab vests. I wonder why they don’t provide them for their staff here in Ireland? I don’t think Dublin is any less dangerous. Anyway, I hope the security guy has a speedy recovery. Tough job.
Did someone say stroked jammer?
well said Aaron
have your say