Gay Byrne's ears must have been burning recently as chat show host Graham Norton was singing his praises in an interview with Ru Paul.
Norton was on the American podcast ‘What’s the Tee’ and said how Gay Byrne was a 'huge influence' on his broadcasting career.
"In Ireland we have a show called the Late Late show, it’s the longest running show. I grew up with Gay Byrne. When I look back I can see that he was a huge influence on me. He was so at home in front of the camera," Norton told Ru Paul.
"When I watch archive clips, the show looks old fashioned but he was just so fluid. He could go from a really funny bit to serious."
He also chatted about a now unforgettable Late Late Show moment...
"There was a famous episode where there was a competition to win a car and then Gay phoned you live on air to say congratulations you won a car. So he phoned this woman to say congratulations. He said to her you don’t seem very excited and she said ‘we’ve just had some bad news’. Her daughter had died that day in a car accident. He had just given her a car."
"It’s one of those things were as a broadcaster your instinct would be ‘ok goodbye’ but no, he talked to this woman. There was a priest on the panel and he talked to her and there was a poet who had a great poem on loss. This was a light entertainment chat show. He was able to steer it with confidence."
"He said this is my show and anything can happen in the world because I’m in control."
His words come after the famous broadcaster was recently diagnosed with cancer. Gay told his listeners on his Sunday Lyric FM radio show; "I shall not be with our listeners on this day next week. Have to go to hospital this week... They think they may have discovered a bit of cancer in the prostate and they think it may have moved up into my back."
"I've had the most wonderful, fantastic, robust, good health all my broadcasting life. It's my turn now... Many, many people much worse off. Thank you for your good wishes."
Here's hoping he makes a speedy recovery.
