Podcast Corner: Loadsa LOL moments with Joanne McNally and Muireann O'Connell
Muireann O'Connell and Joanne McNally of the Let's Solve Nothing podcast.
"The one thing that we do not have - we've got issues, we might have a questionable relationship with alcohol, we've got runners - but we do not have any answers."
As introductions to brand new podcasts go, Muireann O'Connell sets out the stall early. However, this statement comes 90 seconds into the first episode of Let's Solve Nothing, her series with comedian Joanne McNally, by which point the latter has already revealed her mother opens her post, they've discussed bodycon wedges and how the dresses "nearly sliced me in half", and laughed - a lot.
McNally and O'Connell sound like best pals, which is always a bonus for a podcast trying to find its feet - the rapport is instant. As for the content, it's like being in a pub with a gang of mates, and these two dominating the conversation (in the best way), leaving people doubled over in stitches. The themes of the podcast and each episode are perfunctory - the four episodes to date are titled 'Ghosting', 'Selfies', 'Sexy School Uniforms', and 'Presents' - as O'Connell and McNally rip-roaringly riff on each other's tales.
The former was dropped from her lunchtime slot on Today FM 18 months ago (pointedly tweeting that "It’s embarrassing and I’m a bit sad but I love almost everyone in that station and wish them all the best in the future"). O'Connell is natural and free-wheeling behind the mic - but the often NSFW nature of the podcast suits her just fine.
On last week's episode, about presents, they rapid-fire tear through subjects, from lines about the passive-aggressive gifting of grandmothers, to O'Connell's mum saving a fortune due to Covid-19, because she doesn't have to share her wine stash with people calling over to the house. There are laugh-out-loud moments like McNally declaring: "Lynx Africa is the sexiest smell on the planet - or else my palate hasn't evolved with age."
By the time she's riffing on biscuits at TK Maxx, you might have to pause the show due to the tears rolling down your face. So there's nothing big or smart about the concept of Let's Solve Nothing - but that's fine. We'll take whatever laughs we can get in 2020 - and O'Connell and McNally provide plenty of them.
