Al Porter has defended The Late Late Show’s Valentine’s Special, after the show received hundred of complaints.
RTÉ have so far received over 220 calls and 227 emails giving “negative feedback” about the nature of the loved-themed special, however, comedian Al has insisted that there was nothing “vulgar” about the show.
The Tallaght native opened the show with Linda Martin, singing a rendition of Dead Ringer For Love, with an audience of 200 hyped-up singletons.
Writing in his Irish Daily Star column, Al said, “With the show watched by more than 500,000 people, if I were Tubs I wouldn’t sweat a couple hundred complaints.”
“The fact is, nothing on that show was vulgar. Crystal Swing and Dickie Rock were gloriously kitsch, the audience had a pint or two in them like most of this country on a Friday night.
“The first daters were horny – like any human ever – and my jokes about growing up gay were silly and self-deprecating and clearly tongue-in-cheek. This isn’t the only time older viewers have taken themselves and their tastes seriously,” he added.
Meanwhile, the show’s host Ryan Tubridy also defended the Valentine’s Special on RTÉ Radio One yesterday.
“The show actually went down very well. We got what is called a 46 per cent share which is enormous. It’s a very good result indeed. As for reaction, yes a number of people complained but a bigger number watched it and seemed to enjoy it.
“And the story that seems to have emerged from the programme is to me that there is a tale of two Irelands. We looked at the numbers and one Ireland is full of under-50s who thought it was a hoot.
“And another Ireland is full of over-50s who thought a little less of it, in that sense. The bottom line is, there are 37 Late Late Shows in a season and in one we go bananas and that was Friday night. It was great fun.
“In another one we play with toys and we act like children and that goes down very well indeed. They are what you might call event shows and we love doing every one of them. And that’s what it is. There are essentially 35, 34 shows where it is business as usual and I can tell you normal business resumes next Friday,” he added.
