The Latest Late Show

It's been a long while since I've given you the low down on the Late Late, especially for my international readers, since I know everyone in Ireland watches RTE every night, all night. (Not switching over to see the Simpson's historic landing in Ireland on an English Channel).

Anyway last night was cringeful... particularly bad, worse even than usual. Having said that it was oddly gripping too, morbidly fascinating.

First up was little Jack Lynch, who grabbed hearts all round with his cool break dancing in pint size - you'll find him here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kesoof73n_k&feature=related. He's brilliant, and way way cooller than our friend Pat, who asked him would he consider painting his skin because most of the best break dancers are black. Yes that's what he asked. The seven year old looked at him like he was mad.

He had Ronan Keating on, to mildly chat about the cd of covers that his Mam used to like. Ronan was emphatic about the fact that Boyzone was his main job, tho Pat did his best to stir it - "Going solo again then?" So that Ronan had to repeat about five times that "No it was just a side project" the mammy's charity cd - twas like an inquest.

Later we had some chef that made Gordon Ramsey cry - Pat asked "Was he just not enough of a man then?" the chef hesitated, not believing such a question had been asked, when Pat followed with "Or was he showing his feminine side?" as he giggled nervously.

Ah but in the end it was all worth it, to see him uncomfortably wrestling through an interview with an impressionist who was so bad that you couldn't tell when he was trying to be someone, and when he was trying to be himself. Apart from the Bob Geldof impression that started his career.

After all this we were rewarded and kept glued to the sofa by an intrigueing debate about the role of the senate, in which Pat's foot in mouth syndrome was rather useful in keeping the octane levels where they needed to be - a vein popping, shouting, fighting to the death kind of debate, really good, and informative. Pat was a bit one sided, which the senators kept spluttering over, but they did get across some great points too, and actually gave me a good education on what they do for a living, and some of them anyway convinced me that they do work hard, not sure how many of them work 70K hard, but then who does? Yerman at the start of that (can't remember his name) had a five minute soapbox which was really great as well, very well delivered.