Broadcaster Ronan Collins showed a sense of humour on his second last radio show by apologising on air for playing the radio edited version of Fairytale of New York.
The popular host of the Ronan Collins Show on RTE Radio 1, whose last show is Fridat, told listeners he should have listened to the version he played “in advance.”
After the radio edited version of The Pogues and Kirsty McCaul’s classic Christmas song was played, Ronan announced: “I want to apologise for playing that version because that was the radio edit where it didn’t have the original words in it.”
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Released in 1987 the original version of the festive track features a homophobic slur which has grown increasingly controversial over the years.
He went on to explain: “And I’ve never ever played that version before and I should have listened to it in advance because I always played the original.
“Out the door with that aul PC nonsense,” he said.
In response to Ronan, broadcaster Joe Duffy quipped: “43 years on the daily radio programme, 24 hours before he finishes - you would have been sacked tomorrow over that anyway!.”
Two weeks ago the much-loved radio star shared the news with his legions of listeners live on the show that his final Ronan Collins Show will air this Friday.
In the most recent JNLR survey, published in November, The Ronan Collins Show was still the most-listened-to music show on Irish radio, drawing 232,000 listeners every weekday.
However, the broadcaster did confirm that he will continue to broadcast on RTE Radio 1 on Banks Holidays with The Collins Collection.
At that time he said “Nobody will ever know how grateful I have been for all the opportunities over the past 40 years and going forward with RTÉ.
"I've been working on afternoon radio on RTÉ Radio 1 for nearly 38 years, plus six years before that on Radio 2, and nobody will ever know how grateful I have been for all the opportunities over the past 40 years and going forward with RTÉ.
"I often ask myself 'how much longer can I continue to do this?' and the answer always is ‘just keep going.’ New challenges await now on RTÉ in 2023, and I will continue to be on RTÉ Radio 1 with The Collins Collection on Bank Holidays."
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