Prendeville seeks forgiveness

THE controversial radio presenter Neil Prendeville had his employment contract terminated after he committed a lewd act on board an Aer Lingus flight.

Mr Prendeville made the admission yesterday during an interview on 96FM just three days before he returns to air following a decision by the Director of Public Prosecutions not to prosecute him.

During his first radio interview since the October incident, Mr Prendeville blamed his lewd behaviour on alcohol, describing himself as “an alcohol abuser”.

“All through my career I’ve had a very precarious relationship with alcohol and I think that over the last three, maybe four years certainly, a lot more precarious,” he said.

Describing the impact the fallout from the incident had on his children, Mr Prendeville said he felt shame and remorse and had contemplated ending it all. Speaking to TV3, Mr Prendeville said but for his children, he would “probably have taken an overdose of tablets” or hooked a cable to his car.

He criticised the treatment of his children by tabloid media saying “humanity with some tabloids took a back seat here, it got kicked out of the front of the car, publishing my children’s names and their ages, you know, they are minors”.

Mr Prendeville admitted he had taken a privileged life for granted and was living in an “autonomous republic”, not engaging with work colleagues, and he had not been a good husband. He said he was currently off drink and travelling to Dublin weekly for counselling.

In reference to his financial state, Mr Prendeville said he hadn’t been able to support his family during the five months he was without work at 96FM.

He spent some of that time writing in a cottage in Provence and with his son in Nice. Mr Prendeville said he had made some foolish decisions in relation to property and was millions in debt “because of the Boardwalk (Bar and Grill) and everything”.

In relation to his return to air on Monday, Mr Prendeville said: “I don’t know if this is going to work. I’m willing to give it some months and if it works it works and if it doesn’t, then I’ll go.”

While Irish authorities have ended their investigation, Aer Lingus is to ask the British authorities to investigate Mr Prendeville’s behaviour on board one of its flights on October 19 last. Mr Prendeville exposed himself to two cabin crew and Irish Examiner journalist Niamh Hennessy during a flight from Heathrow to Cork.

Picture: Neil Prendeville arriving at 96FM radio station yesterday to give his first radio interview since he committed a lewd act on board an Aer Lingus flight in October. He returns to his radio show on Monday. Picture: Daragh McSweeney/Provision