O'Donovan Brothers make sterling TV performance on Graham Norton

From Skibbereen to Rio to sharing a couch with Micheal Fassbender — it seems nothing short of global domination will do for the O’Donovan brothers now.

The Olympians turn their West Cork charm on a British audience tomorrow night as they appear on The Graham Norton Show.

The BBC 1 New Year’s Eve special features the silver medal winning rowing brothers alongside screen stars Fassbender, Marion Cotillard, and James McAvoy.

While Kerry’s Fassbender found the brothers hilarious, his French co-star in the upcoming Assassins Creed, Coltillard, was completely baffled by the Cork brogue.

Asked what she understood, she said: “Nothing, not a word, I understood.”

But Paul O’Donovan quickly pointed out she had no problem understanding Fassbender’s “thick Kerry accent”.

Regaling the audience with how Paul’s now infamous “pull like a dog” catchphrase has changed their lives and is now everyday language, in nightclubs and even on the capital’s streets, Gary also disclosed Olympic fame doesn’t come with free drinks in their home town.

“Ah it depends like. At home, we are just the same two fellas like down in Skibbereen and they’d have no respect for anything down there.

“A silver medal is nothing. We get charged away in Skibbereen, that’s no problem,” he said.

In typically understated fashion, Paul answered a question on whether fame would make it more difficult to get back into a boat.

“Ah no, you just put the boat down in the water the same.

“There might be fans blocking the way sometimes but you just ask them to move out of the way.”

Before a clip of the upcoming show was broadcast, Norton, another of West Cork’s favourite sons, revealed the brothers were so laid back, they even left their medals behind them on the set.

“They made it all the way from Rio but didn’t make it off this set. It’s great that they are so normal,” he said.