Gerry talks of famous interviews and mistaken identity

Gerry talks of famous interviews and mistaken identity

19 May 2021

THE Downpatrick broadcaster – who has interviewed celebrities such as US singer-songwriter Garth Brooks – has been sharing his own story on St Patrick’s Podcast.

Award-winning television presenter Gerry Kelly, who now lives in Ardglass, spoke to the Saint Patrick Centre pilgrim guides Martina Purdy and Elaine Kelly about life in lockdown, the art of a good interview and the night in 2005 when Gerry Adams, then president of Sinn Fein, told him the war was over. 

“It was remarkable,” said Kelly. “We weren’t expecting it to tell you the truth.”

Kelly recalled that he could not believe his ears when he told Mr Adams that it would help if he said the war is over. “And he said ‘the war is over’ and I was getting the wind up signal…it took a second or two to register.”

As one of Ireland’s most successful broadcasters Kelly has interviewed many famous people, including Roger Moore, the James Bond star. His show ran from 1989 to 2005.

He recounted that American comedian Joan Rivers was very charming, but that it was difficult to converse with her as she had so much botox that it was hard to tell if she was laughing or crying. 

His favourite celebrity interview was George Best and the night he interviewed the legendary Belfast footballer, the Kelly show registered around 475,000 viewers.

His anecdotes include the time a policeman rang him about an incident at Stormont only to learn he had mistaken him for MLA Gerry Kelly from Sinn Fein. 

Mr Kelly also spoke of his childhood and his connection to Ireland’s patron saint.

“St Patrick is very important to me,” said Mr Kelly. “I was at St Patrick’s Primary School, St Patrick’s High School, I taught at St Patrick’s Primary School and I was in St Patrick’s Choral Society.”

Asked if he would like to walk St Patrick’s Way he said he had spent lockdown walking and joked that was “fed up walking” and would prefer to take a bus.

He spoke of his faith in God and joked that it was a “sin” to close the golf courses during lockdown.

 “Why they closed golf is beyond me,” mused Kelly.  “What is more safe than playing golf four guys on a 50 acre site in the open air?”

Saint Patrick’s Podcast with Gerry Kelly is available from May 17 on the Saint Patrick Centre website. The podcast series is to celebrate the 20th anniversary of The Saint Patrick Centre and guests so far have also included broadcaster and presenter Eamonn Holmes, former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, cellist Patrick Dexter and columnist Mary Kenny.