Podcast Corner: Tommy Tiernan, Laurita Blewitt and Hector Ó hEochagáin take matters into their own hands
The Tommy & Hector Podcast with Tommy Tiernan, Laurita Blewitt and Hector Ó hEochagáin
We've seen plenty of big names start podcasts in the past six months as their work falls by the wayside due to the impact of Covid-19.
Two of Ireland's longest-running favourite sons, Tommy Tiernan and Hector Ó hEochagáin, are joined by Laurita Blewitt ("Mayo and Knockmore's finest") for the Tommy & Hector Podcast with Laurita Blewitt.
Launched last week and with new episodes coming weekly, it's hosted, distributed, and monetised by Acast.
With a friendship stretching back to their schooldays, and having hosted the morning show on 2FM for a couple of years, the connection between Tommy and Hector is evident - and they don't hang around on their opening episode. It's ostensibly built around four topics that they've each brought to the henhouse at the bottom of Tommy's garden.
Hector explains that he hasn't had a haircut since January: "I want it to look like it's dishevelled" - but has noticed a receding hairline and so inquired into getting a hair transplant. Facing a bill of €12,000-€15,000, he says that "a healthy hair follicle is worth more than an ounce of gold".
And so, looking for a better deal, he detours to Istanbul, the hair-follicle capital of the world apparently, with over 250 clinics.
"And I saw it with my own eyes, hundreds of Irish men getting their hair done. They put you up for two or three days, you can't lie down for 24 hours. And then you come back to Ireland and you have to rest, replant, resew, refertilise."
The best laugh in the show belongs to Laura Blewitt, though. Discussing a reported rise in sales of sex dolls and toys, they get on to talking about dogging - typical 'edgy' morning-radio fare. Pondering who does it, Tommy says it's done wonders for the confidence of one of his friends.
"Once you can do that, once you can have sex in public with fellas looking at ya - fellas you don't know finding you so attractive that they're willing to take advantage of themselves in a forest at night - you're empowered."
Laura: "But how would that translate to a reading at Mass, say?"
It will be interesting to see if the podcast develops into something more interesting. But at this stage, it's reassuring easy listening for your commute or morning coffee. And as with everything Tommy Tiernan touches lately, it'll probably be loved by the public.
