Five talking points from this week’s Late Late Show, including Blindboy and AI
Patrick Kielty with guests Robbie Henshaw, Peter Ryan and Kaitriona O'Sullivan on the Late Late Show
The first guest of the night was podcaster Blindboy Boatclub, who spoke to Patrick Kielty about his new book, why he doesn’t like being called ‘young’, his experience of autism, and how his made-up names for parts of Limerick are a hit in his podcast — even if it causes a feud with the council.
“I have my podcast down in Limerick. I always end up getting in trouble though because there's a street in Limerick called Bedford Row and it's full of bird shit,” he explained. “I mentioned it to 1.2 million people and ended up in a feud with counsel. I named it the ‘Bird Shit District’.
“It's a street that smells heavily of bird shit. Like, you shouldn't know what bird shit smells like but you do when you're in this place. They brought out a fella who looks like Ross Kemp and he was washing all the bird shit off, but it didn't work. It just evenly distributed the bird shit around the tiles like low-quality toilet paper. I got killed by the council — I shouldn't have mentioned it on the Late Late now as well!”
Considering most guests are kept tightly under wraps this season, there was a rare advance notice this week that 90s band Take That will be on the show next month. Kielty enlisted a choir to help reveal the Could It Be Magic singers will be in the studio on the first Friday in December, and the remaining three members of the group (Gary Barlow, Mark Owen and Howard McDonald) sent a video message urging Take That fans to apply for audience tickets online for what could be the Greatest Day(or night) of their lives.
Calling all @takethat fans! #latelate pic.twitter.com/5vP5EYunp8
— The Late Late Show (@RTELateLateShow) November 10, 2023
Artificial Intelligence (AI) was put to the test in Donnybrook, with a computed-generated Kielty addressing viewers with an entirely made up statement. It was an indication of how realistic these ‘deepfakes’ can be and journalist Annmarie Tomchak was on hand to explain the implications of the new technology — both good and bad.
“We are entering into a whole new era where there are a whole new set of challenges because it's going to become more and more difficult to decipher what is real and what is fake because of AI,” she explained, adding there are “positives around healthcare” to be explored.
“There's hope that AI will be able to find the cure for cancer if we get enough datasets together and join the dots. We can find the diagnosis for things or the cure for really big problems. Climate change is another area. Education: spotting dyslexia in children from a much younger age so that then you can get early intervention.”
More than one guest was a testament to how determination can shape your life’s path. Legally blind Paralympic athlete Peter Ryan appeared with rugby player Robbie Henshaw to speak about running the length of the country to raise vital funds for Vision Ireland. He also reflected on his experience of losing his sight.
“Back in 2010 I lost 80% of my vision, got an acquired eye condition and I suppose there was a lot of ups and downs figuring out that piece but this was a challenge for myself, it was a challenge for the 300,000 people that are going through similar things that have had a diagnosis. The motivations behind it, I could stop the bus anywhere you want from the intrinsic to the world of disabilities and reconnecting and showing on what people with a disability can do.”
“You’ve done nothing wrong, we really want to help you”@katrionaos #latelate pic.twitter.com/6GeQGNLcOg
— The Late Late Show (@RTELateLateShow) November 10, 2023
Finally, Dr Kaitriona O’Sullivan appeared on the Late Late Show to discuss her book Poor, her experience of growing up in poverty, and her story of survival.
“I’d wake up in the morning and I was hungry. I was hungry for food, for care, to be noticed. And I was afraid,” she said of her childhood. “I wrote my book, I suppose, because I want people to understand like what it's actually like, for a child to grow up poor.”
In later years, she said a chance meeting in Dublin led her to reconsider her preconceived ideas about further education after meeting someone from a similar background who was in college. “She said she was in Trinity College and I literally said ‘fuck off’. Sorry to swear on The Late Late but I didn't think Trinity College let people like us in. I thought that it was blocked off from people like me.
“I marched into Trinity, I went over and knocked on the door and said ‘I need I want to change my life’. And I was so lucky to be in Dublin in the early 2000s because the investment was there in poor people.”
