Search icon

Movies & TV

07th May 2022

Ryan Tubridy is refusing to comment on age after Jamie-Lee O’Donnell interview

Ellen Fitzpatrick

Ryan Tubridy

The Late Late Show host said this is “probably a wise thing”.

Ryan Tubridy is refusing to make comments on people’s age anymore following the now infamous interview he had with Derry Girls actress Jamie-Lee O’Donnell.

Speaking to Sky News presenter Kay Burley on Friday night’s The Late Late Show, she made a joke that Ryan should have told her she looked far too young to have been in the business for over 40 years.

“I just love my job every day so I don’t get up thinking: ‘Oh my goodness, I’ve got to do another three hours of live telly today’,” she said.

“I just think I’m just so incredibly privileged. It is a long time – this is where you say I don’t look that old.”

Ryan then laughed and replied: “Oh no, I actually don’t comment on age anymore. Probably a wise thing.”

Known for her role as Michelle on the hit Channel 4 comedy Derry Girls, Jamie-Lee appeared on the Late Late three weeks ago and the interview that ensued caused a lot of debate among viewers.

When Ryan asked about her age, Jamie-Lee responded by telling him that the question was “misogynistic”, saying:

“This is the thing about that, it sort of gets on my nerves a wee bit, no disrespect,” she said.

“It’s always quite misogynistic even if it’s unintentionally misogynistic because men don’t get the same scrutiny in their career.”

When trying to explain what she meant by this, some viewers claimed that Ryan began speaking over her and didn’t allow her to explain herself, while others were under the impression that he had done nothing wrong.

Ryan told Jamie-Lee he did not mean to cause any offence and that he would have asked a male actor the same question if he was playing a teenager on-screen.