Three things we learned from The Late Late Show, from polyamory to a Roy Keane visit
The Late Late Show host Patrick Kielty
Comedian PJ Gallagher discussed life as a new dad at almost 50 following the birth of twins as well as his mental health, one year after appearing on the Late Late Show to talk about his battle with depression.
He said after his struggles and his diagnosis he feels more equipped to deal with it when he experiences a struggle again," he said.
“I was diagnosed with recurrent depressive disorder so there is no doubt about it, I am going to get ill again.
"What I do absolutely know is the next time it happens, I will be in control. I know what to do, I know how to deal with it, I know who to go to, I know what medication to take, I know to never be quiet about it and that’s all in place. It’s great to know that when it comes next time, I’m in charge.”
He also opened up about his mother’s death and her struggle with alcoholism.
"When my ma died I wanted to tell her story and then I realised, I'm not being fair to her. She did all these things, but she also did them with her own problems.
"That's a huge part of our family story, and her story. She still managed to pull it off.”
Gallagher also spoke about how his life experiences led him to consider a polyamorous lifestyle.
"I came as close to death as a person could come and then I realised 'Why am I so afraid? Why can't I do normal things? Why can't I have a normal family?' The family dynamic was always so terrifying, it felt like a trap to me.
"For me, I believe that the family dynamic that I had was never going to work for me, I needed something else, I needed to have a chosen family. And I believe you can have loving relationships with more than one person, not in a sexual way necessarily, but you can have intimate loving relationships with people.
"I believe I have enough love to give around. That's how I want to move forward. I don't want to feel ashamed. I want to build a new and very different life for myself."
Former Manchester United footballer Andy Cole joined Patrick Kielty to chat about life as a soccer star and his health scare. Six years ago, Cole had a kidney transplant, with his nephew donating an organ to him. However, his standout memory from that time is a visit from Mayfield man Roy Keane, who was his captain at Man U.
“I remember the nurse saying to him, ‘Mr Keane, don’t make him laugh’. The stitches were tight on my stomach. So he said no problem. Within five minutes he had me rolling around, I was in so much pain, but Roy being Roy he just continues to make me laugh,” he said.
“I’ve always had a fantastic relationship with him. He was an unbelievable captain, I was fortunate to play with such a great player but away from the football pitch he’s always had time for me. You could say we’re a bit alike as well — I don’t think I’m as ferocious as he is, I like to speak my mind but not as much as he does. I think when two people connect like that, it’s a lot easier.”
