MRS BROWN'S JOY
Talk show hosts battle to sign up comic Brendan
MRS Brown's Boys star Brendan O'Carroll has kicked off a talk show battle between Jonathan Ross and Graham Norton among others over his first major chat show appearance in Britain. The Dublin comic has become a huge hit in the UK thanks to the success of the hit series.
Not only is it topping RTE's ratings with 770,000 viewers (it had its final appearance of this series last night), but it is also drawing five million fans on BBC1. But Brendan, who is already a household name here, is unknown to UK viewers outside of The Mrs Brown character.
Problem
And the problem with him making his debut chat show appearance in the UK is because producers want him to come on dressed up as Mrs Brown.
"He has been offered Graham Norton, Jonathan Ross and a couple of the other ones, such as Loose Women and This Morning," reveals Rory Cowen, who plays gay hairdresser Rory Brown in the show.
"They all want him but they've all said they wanted Mrs Brown and Brendan won't do it.
"Mrs Brown works off a script. Brendan can do interviews as Mrs Brown, but Mrs Brown is a character, so if they're interviewing Mrs Brown and they ask questions, the chances are they're going to get an answer from Brendan O'Carroll, which mightn't be what the character Mrs Brown would say. So Brendan doesn't want to do the interviews as Mrs Brown."
Famous female impersonators have had varied success rates on UK TV. Barry Humphries thrives as Dame Edna Everage. Paul O'Grady ditched his creation Lily Savage to become a bona fide TV host in his own right. And Caroline Ahern had a huge hit with her elderly character Mrs Merton.
Brendan is currently at his holiday home in Florida writing series three, which will be filmed in November and December. He returns home to Ireland in time for St Patrick's day.
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THERE'S SAM ILL FEELING
COULD Kian Egan's dissing of Samantha Mumba on RTE's The Voice of Ireland last Sunday have anything to do with her once spurning his advances?
The Sligoman made no secret of his lust for Samantha around 10 years ago and tried to get up close and personal with her in Dublin's Lillies Bordello. Kian made a crashing sign when Brian Kennedy made reference to her on last Sunday's show.
Samantha was in pantomime alongside Richie Hayes in Dublin's Gaiety and arrived back in her home in L.A. on Thursday. But not before she tweeted while watching last Sunday's show: "LMAO@a certain boy talkin silly on tv. Surely only ACTUAL vocalists can judge a vocal competition right?!Team @richiehayes2012 all the way!!!"
Kian and Nicky Byrne never did lead vocals, unlike the other lads in the group.
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SWEDISH STAR IS STELL IN LOVE
TOP Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgard launched the Jameson Dublin Film Festival to a packed Lighthouse cinema in Dublin on Thursday evening.
Over 800 guests, including Aoibhinn Ni Shuilleabhain (who's still dating Ryan Tubridy), Merlin star Eoin Macken and former Miss Ireland Emma Waldron, turned out to see the star of Mamma Mia and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo officially open the event.
"I met my wife in Ireland eight years ago - in the Horseshoe Bar. I wasn't sober," he laughed, before adding, "I must still not be sober 'cos I'm still married to her. Slainte."
Stellan married his second wife Megan Everett in January 2009 and they welcomed their son Ossian, that April.
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D-LIGHT FOR ALL BAND FANS
IRISH boyband D-Side must think there's a gap in the market with the soon-to-be departed Westlife, as they're now reforming.
D-Side's Dane Guiden and Westlife's Kian Egan have something else in common as they both had romps with glamour model Jodie Marsh (in her pre-bodybuilding days).
"We've been approached and asked many times over the last couple of years but we never felt it was right for us," says Dane. "But I think now the music is still there and the music still gets a lot of radio play and I just think maybe it just feels right for everyone of us."
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AMANDA BRUSHES UP WELL FOR FERN
SHE'S a top TV and radio presenter, a fashion icon and even has her own clothing range with VBFF Holly Willoughby but if that wasn't enough it turns out that Fern Cotton is also a rather accomplished artist.
For her latest work she decided to paint Dublin born TV presenter beauty Amanda Byram. Amanda was just as impressed by the work as we are, saying, "I heart this so much!"
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SUPER Bowl fans will be Havana a great time in Dublin tonight with model Tiffany Stanley who is leading the cheers ahead of the NFL final between the New England Patriots and New York Giants.
GEORGIA Salpa will fly out to London on Thursday to look for an apartment in the Engllish capital as a base for new lucrative work there. The Dubliner is cashing in on her success in the UK after starring in Celebrity Big Brother.
HOLLYWOOD star Adam Sandler thrilled schoolchildren at a Co Kildare school when he sent them some signed DVDs. The children at Shanganamore national school also received a signed letter from the funnyman, who described them as his "best friends in Ireland".
IT seems like only yesterday he was in the shadow of famous big sister Samantha Mumba, but the popstar's cute baby bro Omero hit the town last weekend.