Along with everyone else who has graced Irish television in the past 10 years, Angela Scanlon has been sucked into the “conversation” regarding the potential next Late Late Show host. The Co Meath native has, it should be noted, ruled herself out in uncompromising terms, replying “f*** no”, when asked on Instagram about stepping into Ryan Tubridy’s shoes.
You have to credit Scanlon with having the self-awareness to understand she and the Late Late would make for an uneasy mix: she has the charisma but lacks the gravitas (whether Ryan Tubridy possesses those qualities is a question for another time). She is, though, absolutely in her comfort zone as she returns for a new season of Ask Me Anything (RTÉ One, 9.30pm) – an irreverent tornado of chat fuelled by Scanlon’s top-drawer effusiveness.
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In largely positive ways, Ask Me Anything is the anti-Late Late. Scanlon has hosted The One Show and Robot Wars in the UK, and her RTÉ series surfs on the same cheeky brio that is a feature of her work in Britain.
It’s not the deepest way to pass the hour, and her forthright persona – her season opener featured two f-bombs – won’t be everyone’s cup of chai. But she is one of those rare Irish presenters who comes across as entirely comfortable in their skin, and that makes her hugely watchable.
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Scanlon is joined by a cheery trio of C-list guests. Keith Duffy, previously of Boyzone, talks about forming Boyzlife with former Westlife singer Bryan McFadden. Duffy is a matey presence, yet there is a hint of darkness under the bonhomie. Asked about the tattoos that wreathe his hands, he stops smiling and his voice drops an octave.
“The tattoos remind me of a place where I was where I’m not any more,” he says sternly. Another interviewer might follow through by asking him about these dark times. But Scanlon is here for the chin-wags rather than the human interest and her show is better for it: she knows her strengths and these do not include inviting her couchmates to bare their souls.
The irreverence is dialled up when Scanlon interviews Majella O’Donnell, wife of superstar singer Daniel. “Sex, drugs or rock’n’roll?” Scanlon inquires. “Don’t be bold now,” replies O’Donnell. After a pause she adds, “I think I’ll go with sex.” “How is it?” asks Scanlon, to which O’Donnell offers a reply along the lines of “Fine, thanks for asking.”
Third up is Jarlath Regan, the comedian and podcaster. He and Scanlon get along fabulously. Largely because she steps out of the way and allows Regan to deliver what are essentially a series of stand-up routines about the child-rearing podcast he hosts with his wife and his return to Ireland after a decade in the UK.
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Aside from the jokes, the most striking thing about Regan is his jacket – a shiny number covered in huge patches which, in his estimation, makes him look “like a 13-year-old”. He’s also wearing expensive designer sneakers, about which he protests, “I can’t afford them – I shouldn’t be doing this.”
Scanlon introduces her guests as “an eclectic bunch of headers”. As banter goes, this is pure, unexpurgated Marmite – some viewers will lap it up, others will pull a muscle in their haste to flick over to Netflix. But she never stops having fun and that chutzpah isn’t without its infectious qualities.
