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Biden with Bono on Capitol Hill in Washington, 2007 SIPA USA/PA Images

Sofa Watch: Ryan busks with Bono, Biden suppresses his Irish-ness

All you need to know about your Irish and international chat show options.

AS ANOTHER FRIDAY night rolls around, a bit of socially distant light banter might help to break up the monotony. 

With the drop in temperatures, there’s no better night to sit on the couch and watch some quality chat shows. 

Here’s our latest round-up of talk show content from the week and what will be on tonight. There should be plenty here to keep anyone occupied.

  • The Late Late Show, RTÉ One, 9.35pm  
Before Ryan winds up the Late Late for 2020, he has one last special for us. 
Given the usual Grafton Street busking session for charity won’t go ahead this year, the folks in Montrose have taken the reins. 
In aid of the Simon Community, the Late Late Show will hold a musical event in the studio to recreate the annual busk indoors. Check this list twice for your favourite Irish musician, as it is a long one. 

Joining Ryan in the studio and via Zoom will be Glen Hansard, U2′s Bono and The Edge, Imelda May, Hozier, John Sheahan, Finbar Furey, Shane MacGowan, Danny O’Reilly, Roisin O, Declan O’Rourke, Lisa O’Neill, and Kodaline’s Steve Garrigan.

All involved are expected to perform and have chat about memories of the busk from down the years, and the importance of the work of the Simon Community

“This will certainly be a night to remember with the best of Irish talent in one room coming together for some incredible performances,” Tubridy said.

“In return, our friends here are asking viewers to dig deep to donate to the Simon Community and to help our brothers and our sisters who are currently homeless to get off the streets, to be safe, to be warm, to be treated with dignity and decency and ultimately to get the type of secure housing that everyone deserves.”

Ryan will also interview special guest Philip Powell, who was staying in a hostel when he struck up a friendship with Glen Hansard and became a staple performer of the Grafton Street busk. Philip will speak of his experiences of being homeless on and off for two decades.

The Late Late Show / YouTube

  • The Graham Norton Show, BBC One, tonight, 10.45pm

Unlike the Tubridy, Graham will be back on our screens for a New Year’s Eve special alongside Tom Hanks, Emily Blunt, Jamie Dornan, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Nish Kumar and Jessica Chastain.

But tonight, you’ll have to settle for George Clooney, Michael Sheen and David Tennant,  Viola Davis, Daisy May Cooper, and Vanessa Kirby.

Michael Ball and Alfie Boe will be performing a rendition of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas. 

The Graham Norton Show / YouTube

Across the pond 

Joe and Jill Biden sat down with Stephen Colbert for their first joint interview since last month’s presidential election. 

The future first lady said she was surprised at the tone of recent attacks on her doctorate degree, after an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal called for her to drop Dr from her title (she earned a doctorate of education from the University of Delaware in 2007).

When Colbert asked Joe his thoughts on the matter, he said: “I’ve been suppressing my Irish-ness for a long time.” We’ll take that as a compliment then…

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert / YouTube

Colbert also spoke with Whoopi Goldberg about the third instalment of Sister Act. 27 years on the nuns are having another go around, but Goldberg was tight-lipped about possible plot lines. 

If you’re still doing some last-minute Christmas shopping, Jimmy Kimmel has the gift for you. The mayor of Atlantic City is auctioning off the chance to blow up one of Donald Trump’s former casinos. Whoever donates the most money (to charity) gets to press the detonator next month. Kimmel says a much a simpler way to make a Trump casino implode is to put Trump back in charge of it again. 

Jimmy Kimmel Live / YouTube

Kimmel also spoke with Viola Davis about her new movie Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, and acting alongside the late Chadwick Boseman. And for the season that’s in it, here’s Alanis Morissette performing Happy Xmas (War Is Over)

Ahead of the release of his new album today, Paul McCartney told Jimmy Fallon it came about while he had some time on his hands during lockdown. It was only after he finished eleven songs he thought “this might be an album”. 

Watch the interview below if you want to feel like you accomplished nothing this year. 

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon / YouTube

Graham Norton makes another appearance on the list, this time as a guest of Fallon. Talking about filming his show during the pandemic, Graham said nothing fills the void of his missing audience (not even the laugh track from the last season, shudder). 

And if you were wouldn’t whether Santa Claus is a savage, he is. This Megan Thee Stallion remix is, naturally, not for the kids in your life.

The Late Late Show with James Corden / YouTube

From the archives 

Despite being released 26 years ago, Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas Is You is currently top of the charts around the world.

Here she is in 1994 talking about her new “peppy Christmas number” before it became a staple of the season. 

RestlessRick / YouTube

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8 Comments
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    Mute in_zane_burger
    Favourite in_zane_burger
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    Apr 2nd 2014, 3:06 PM

    Can I have my money back now

    32
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    Mute padser123
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    Apr 2nd 2014, 3:33 PM

    It’s like’…..burning your furniture – to keep warm!

    23
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    Mute Paul Roche
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    Apr 2nd 2014, 4:52 PM

    Why are PwC saying this instead of IBRC and NAMA?

    11
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    Mute Philip
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    Apr 2nd 2014, 5:20 PM

    As property prices start to rise nama , ibrc start to dump property

    Can someone explain why?

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    Mute Dara O'Brien
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    Apr 2nd 2014, 5:56 PM

    Dumping loans philip, not property. They’re Dumping the loans as they’re non-performing and want to get them off the balance sheet.

    If they had the patience, they’d put arrangements in place to allow the properties to return to positive equity and then seek a sale, this recouping more of the tax payers money.

    Unfortunately, they’ll sell the loans for a discount and allow the new purchasers to do this and net a tidy profit.

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    Mute Garry Coll
    Favourite Garry Coll
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    Apr 2nd 2014, 5:02 PM

    The article outlines that IBRC (IBROKE would probably be a better name) will offload € 15 billion in loans.
    Yet the linked article tells us that IBROKE have already offloaded 90% of its loanbook, € 19.8 billion out of € 21.7 billion leaving just € 1.9 billion on hand.
    This can only mean, if the previous article is correct, that it is NAMA that is offloading the majority of the loans.
    Why the subterfuge?
    Why make people think that this is some kind of joint enterprise when it is NAMA that is leading the charge?
    Have the shiny suit brigade from the canal something to hide?
    Given their obsession with secrecy it would not surprise me if they have, perhaps selling the loans to some preferred customer with an inside track at a serious discount.
    The way things go it will all be wrapped up before we know anything, plus ça change.

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    Mute Irish Revolution
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    Apr 2nd 2014, 2:58 PM

    Who in their right mind would buy this junk?

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    Mute Padraig McHale
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    Apr 2nd 2014, 3:01 PM

    It might only be worth 30% of face value but if you buy it for 20% it’s a good deal. For the buyer anyway.

    32
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    Mute Tony
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    Apr 2nd 2014, 3:06 PM

    @ Irish Revolution

    The Banks?

    14
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    Mute Deirdre McDonnell
    Favourite Deirdre McDonnell
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    Apr 3rd 2014, 2:42 AM

    Hedge funds bought it. They will now sell off all the ghost estates etc at a lower price so people that have houses for sale at the min will eventually have to sell for half or take them off the market.
    Fab house here in drogheda asking price €325. Hilarious. You could now nearly get a house for that on raglan road or ailsbury road!! So that house is realistically worth less than €150 really.
    People and notions ha

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    Mute Vanessa Doyle
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    Apr 2nd 2014, 7:04 PM

    What about Bank of Scotland selling on my mortgage & others in their Irish portfolio to a company called Tanager Ltd.
    I’m in a tizzy all day because I don’t know what it means for us.

    3
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