Ryan Tubridy has responded to Shane Lynch’s “bullying” claims – after the Boyzone star addressed his controversial appearance on The Late Late Show.
The appearance in question involved Shane showing up late for the show in 2018, before swearing on live TV and sticking his middle finger up at the camera after Ryan played an embarrassing clip of the band from 25 years ago.
Almost two years after the interview hit headlines, Shane told the Irish Sun: “I haven’t spoken to Ryan Tubridy since”, claiming showing the clip was “a massive bullying tactic”.
When asked whether Ryan realised that Shane felt that way, he responded: “No, I had no idea and that’s desperate.”
“He’s a lovely fella, he’s good craic,” he added.
“I don’t know him at all other than meeting him once or twice on TV, so that was an unfortunate outcome for Shane because of course that clip is played every time Boyzone venture towards a studio.”
When asked whether he would play the clip of Boyzone in future, Ryan responded: “If Shane is triggered by it, it’s something we’d have to surely discuss with him in advance because I wouldn’t want him to be upset by seeing himself as a young man auditioning on The Late Late Show.”
Back in November 2018, Shane showed up late for Boyzone’s appearance on the show, forcing bandmates Ronan Keating, Mikey Graham and Keith Duffy to perform without him.
After missing his flight from the UK and getting stuck in traffic, Shane eventually made it to RTÉ for their sit-down interview with Ryan Tubridy – where he ended up swearing on live TV, and showing his middle finger to the camera.
Shane raged: “Here’s the story behind that clip – I busted my bollocks to get here… do ya see that clip – you can shove it up your f***in’ hole.”
“That’s what you can do with that clip, and that’s the truth,” he said, after sticking his middle finger up at the camera.
Ryan then replied, “We see it as a bit of fun…” before Shane interrupted, “I don’t give a f***.”
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“RTE promised they wouldn’t show that clip,” Shane told The Sun, “That it would be a positive interview but they threw us under a bus. Showing that clip was a massive bullying tactic in my eyes.”
“You have to remember that at the time — we were young kids, only 17 years of age. We were vulnerable kids at the time. That wasn’t easy for us to come through.
Shane claimed: “RTE showing that clip again was an attempt to squash us. They were trying to put us back in that position when we didn’t feel good about ourselves, where we were tormented.”
“When I did what I did, people said that was a disgrace and I let myself down but I feel the complete opposite, because I feel I stood up for myself,” he said.
“When we got back to the dressing room, the other guys told me they wished they’d had the b******s to do what I did.”
“You see it’s harder for the other lads in Boyzone because they all have their own things going on in Ireland, and they stand up for certain communities and charities.”
“I don’t have that because I live in the UK and I stand up for what I think is right. That night on the Late Late Show, I stood up against bullying.”
“I never spoke to any of the producers or researchers afterwards. I said what needed to be said on the show,” he added.
“I have never spoken to Ryan Tubridy since. His ratings were great on the night and that show is about the ratings.”
