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20th Sep 2020

Michael McIntyre tells hilarious story about almost breaking his leg on stage in Cork

Rob O'Hanrahan

You’d expect better from the people of Cork…

The Irish people are known for being good audiences, be it music, comedy or whatever you’re having yourself. Michael McIntyre knows that all too well.

Speaking to JOE ahead of the launch of his new Netflix special Showman, he told us about one particularly memorable gig in Ireland;

“I love the Irish crowd. And everybody says that, but they’re right! I’ve had such amazing gigs in Ireland, always. Here’s something funny… I did a gig in Cork and it was going quite well. Went off for the interval and did an impression of the then England goalkeeper who’d made a save and I was just impersonating him, I can’t even remember why. Landed funny on my leg. Something went POP!”

Disaster, right? What do you even do in that situation? Well, McIntyre had to work with what he had…

“We asked the audience, ‘any doctors here?’. There was a doctor, came to see me in the interval, patched me up and said, ‘don’t walk on it. If you’re going to carry on, be brave, sit on a stool.’ So I did the second half in agony, painkillers, sitting on a stool. And I did so well! I was a very brave boy!”

Situation rescued. Legend status secured. Fair play to Micky Mc and the doctor from the crowd. But the story doesn’t end there…

“And then at the end, I’d had such great gig, and I said, ‘look, it wasn’t the full show that you got because I hurt myself and I’ve been sitting. If you want, absolutely, you can ask for a refund…’ And I ONLY said it because I knew NOBODY would!

“EVERY fecker that was sitting there, asked for their money back! All of them! The attitude was, ‘it was a great night, but if he’s offering, I’ll take it!'”

The Cork crowd bit his hand off at the chance, but McIntyre says there’s absolutely no hard feelings;

“I have repaid everyone AND I’ve been back to Cork since and we had a great night!”

Michael McIntyre’s Netflix special Showman is available to watch now.

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