Four talking points from the Late Late Show, from Kielty’s karate chops to Cork chowder
Jean-Claude Van Damme and Patrick Kielty on The Late Late Show
Patrick Kielty’s first guest on Friday night’s Late Late Show was Hollywood star Jean-Claude Van Damme, who was in Ireland to promote his new whiskey brand. However, all viewers could talk about was how hot he looked — temperature-wise, of course.
Van Damme took his seat and a sheen of sweat was instantly noticeable and caused more than a few comments on social media. “He is actually starting to melt,” one person wrote, with even the host remarking on it, joking “this is what happens when you go on the lash in Belfast on a Thursday and turn up in Dublin on Friday.” Clearly, Van Damme’s whirlwind visit to Ireland is passing him by quickly, with the actor telling Kielty he was happy to be in Belfast (“Good thing we’re not live”, Kielty quipped, and it looked as if his guest believed him).
Thankfully they cranked up the air conditioning in the studio to visible relief from the Double Impact star who seemed more relaxed when footballer Liam Brady joined him in studio, even asking the pundit to sign a copy of his book for him.
Van Damme also showed off his martial arts skills in what might be the most talked about moment from the show…
Van Damme praised the blend of martial arts training and ballet in crafting a smooth, powerful technique and Kielty invited him to a display, smashing bottles with a simple chop. However, the host caused quite a stir in the studio and online when he appeared next to Van Damme clad in skin-toned leggings to show off his own moves.
Well we weren’t expecting THIS 👀 #latelate @PatricKielty @JCVD pic.twitter.com/wIRFZ6W3H2
— The Late Late Show (@RTELateLateShow) October 20, 2023
After much swaying and hip-wiggling (Liam Brady later remarked the host has a “fine arse”), Kielty followed Van Damme’s example and smashed the final two bottles with his hand before gifting Van Damme a belated birthday cake.
Also joining the show was author and trans woman Juno Dawson, author of This Book Is Gay, the title that sparked protests by far-right agitators targeting public library staff in Cork city over the summer.
Dawson said the protests in Cork “really makes me sad” and added she empathises with LGBT children who may feel targeted by similar protests, as well as library staff, booksellers and teachers.
“The people might be protesting my book but really what they're protesting is me, or people like me,” she said. She and Kiely discussed Dawson’s experience of transitioning, her time as a teacher, and why she felt there was a gap when teaching children about LGBT relationships.
Kielty’s final guests on the night were singer James Blunt and comedian Tom Allen. Blunt, who is starting an international tour that does not include any Irish dates, was encouraged by Allen to visit Cork, where he performed on Thursday. He had one area in particular he wanted to recommend.
“The food capital of Ireland - they call themselves that,” Allen said about Cork before extolling the high-quality food he found in the heart of the city.
“I went to the English market and the Farmgate Cafe. You much go there,” he told Blunt, “have the chowder.”
All in all, a decent variety of guests this week — and not a single RTÉ staff member among them.
