Young Entrepreneurs – Brilliant!
Late call for Late Late
I was supposed to be away but got “volcanoed” with no flights. I had been asked to do The Late Late Show a couple of weeks back but we, the Dragons, had planned an end of series party, and I wasn’t going to miss it.
Then they started chasing me yesterday afternoon. It was only then I got talking to John, a researcher, from the show. Orlaith, my wife, and I had all the baby sitting arrangements in place so we were planning on just heading to a hotel and chilling out for the weekend. But Sean Gallagher then phoned and asked me to come on with him – “it will be better crack if we do it as a two hander” he coaxed. So I agreed. It was the best way to do it. I hadn’t been thinking about it all week. I just got time to go home get changed and head to the studio.
Behind the scenes of the longest running chat show in the world.
Got there at about 9pm and was brought to the green room. Had a quick drink and a sambo, I was starving and soon after Sean and Trish arrived. She really is a beautiful woman with the most gorgeous eyes and a warm smile, then I look at Sean and wonder????
Down to make up. Where I see on the list Sean and I are on first thing and following us is the Green Party leader John Gormley. We are sworn enemies. I love meat and he is campaigning for a meatless society. I don’t want to be vegan but that’s the way the Greens want to world to end up in the next generation or two. But we are polite to one another.
The make-up artists ask when will TanOrganic be in the shops?
I explain late May it will be in all the pharmacies. Interestingly they all call it by name – “TanOrganic” – it is already a regognisable brand name. Another asks me about Herbie and Minister Gormley’s driver wants to buy a HidBin.
Meet the Four Young Entrepreneurs.
I am slagging Sean that there seems to be a demand for my products. At 9:20 we meet the four young entrepreneurs who will be on the show with us. I’d like to get their names and a brief but their Mams and Teachers want photos of their big night so we pose for a few shots. I note it is the poor Dads who take the pics – always the same the Dads are there to record the moment but be not in it. So I make a mock big fuss and say I am not doing the show until I get photos with the Dads.
Wow we’ll be on any minute!
I can see in the background there’s a TV and the news is over. I am clearly not going to be told anything about what we are going to talk about.
Stephen, who shepherds the guests, takes us to studio 4 and we are taken to the back of the set. I can hear Ryan the far side of the curtain saying to the audience right guys we’ve one minute.
He then appears through the curtain – “Guys great of you to come enjoy the show. Gavin you go here….” I say ”No put Sean beside you first and come to him before me because I have no idea what we are doing.”
Then the theme music explodes – Ryan runs up the back of the stairs and the show is on. Sean is beside himself laughing that absolutely no one has told me what I am doing and keeps saying “you’ll be grand” and next thing we hear, …Sean Gallagher and Gavin Duffy and we are on.
“Go guys – good luck”
But genuinely Ryan is fantastic to be on with. He is such good fun and Sean and I hang around together so much it it like being in his living room in Blackrock, County Louth, except his room has a higher ceiling. It has, what the Yanks call, “a cathedral ceiling”. The room has magnificent views of the beach and sea.
The item is a brilliant one. I haven’t seen it back yet. I don’t look at shows I am on, including Dragons’ Den. It is the four finalists is the Young Entrepreneur show. Rather than go through it here check it out for yourself on the RTE Player.
But it really was uplifting and inspirational to see these young people make their pitches. The ideas were really, really very good.
TanOrganic
Ryan asked me about TanOrganic and was it going to be the really big breakthrough international product from Dragons’ Den. So I explained how it is 100% natural and organic and revealed about the interest we have had from the international market. But he was wanting to move along so I only got to mention Herbie’s Toilet Pipe Cover and the HidBin and that all three are at the Ideal Homes Show this weekend in the RDS.
After about 25 minutes it was all over and during the commercial break we slipped out of studio. More photos with the young entrepreneurs and then back to the Green Room. To my horror two boobs. I forgot to wish luck to Boyne against Tullamore in the Towns Cups Final this Sunday. I have two nephews, Prop, Cillian Duffy and centre, Bevan Duffy on the Boyne team. And for one of the items I said that Vodafone and O2 should be involved. Of course I should have mentioned Meteor where my brother in law works. He gave me an awful slagging later on the phone.
We just chilled out. The other guests were just sitting around. Riad and Siobhán two young gays were lovely as were their families. John Gormley came back in and spoke to Sean. We exchanged pleasantries. Michael Colgan appeared a cold fish. Michael Gambon just carries that bemused look about him always so why force a conversation with them so we just had our own crack. Orlaith and Trish had great fun with all the texts Trish was getting asking her was she pregnant? Apparently as Sean was mentioning the Pregnancy Show he is promoting I said “Yes Ryan Sean has even got pregnant for the event.” So I have started another false rumour.
“It all started on The Late late Show.”
After a while we split and headed home. Final comment about The Late Late Show. People forget long before Dragons’ Den there was an enterprise slot on the Late Late with Gaybo. Stira, the attic stairs, and John Concannon’s amazing multinational JFC Plastics all started on the Late Late.
I came away thinking last night the show is still brilliant, top of the ratings, so professional and with Ryan and Executive Producer, Jim Jennings, in good hands.
Next Blog - Monday.
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Yes that is fine good luck with your endeavours.