Gay Byrne

Few people outside of the world of politics did as much to reshape their country during the 20th century as Gay Byrne. He was an unlikely revolutionary: soft-spoken, politically conservative and unremarkable of appearance. But in his 37 years as producer and presenter of The Late Late Show he brought issues like abortion, gay rights, racism and abuse in the Catholic church into the nation’s living rooms. The Irish politician Oliver J Flanagan claimed that “nobody had sex in Ireland until The Late Late Show hit the air”. It wasn’t just ISSUES that the show tackled though – it was always the first of call for any celebrity that happened to be passing through Ireland, the Christmas toy special was a cornerstone of Irish childhoods and, of course, Boyzone danced like absolute tits on it.

Gay Byrne
5 August 1934 – 4 November 2019
Died aged 85 (13 picks, 1 joker)