RTE’s David McCullagh has broken his silence over the reaction to his interview with Russian ambassador, Yury Filatov - saying he was just doing his job.
McCullagh earned global praise in March for his “outstanding” grilling of the ambassador, which saw him signing off their interview with: "Yury Filatov, Ambassador of Russia to Ireland, for the moment at least."
The Six One interview was picked up internationally, with US chat show host John Oliver referencing the interview on HBO's Last Week Tonight.
But McCullagh said he found the praise “really odd” – saying he was just doing his job.
He said: “It was a bit odd, actually it was very odd.
“I was just doing what any journalist would do in the circumstances so I was a bit taken aback by the reaction to it.
“I suppose it just hit a nerve in a particular moment in time, but they were just the questions I think anyone would have asked and hopefully, they were the questions that the people at home wanted put to him.
“You never really know why things catch on or don’t catch on; you might think you did a cracking interview with someone and there’s no reaction whatsoever.
“I knew having done that interview that it was reasonably strong, but I certainly didn’t expect the reaction it got,” he told the RTE Guide.
McCullagh also opened up co-anchoring the Six One news with Catriona Perry for almost two years after making the move from Prime Time.
The host said he was never looking to leave Prime Time.
“I wasn’t looking for a move, I was very happy on Prime Time. It will always have a place in my heart, but the Six One is a great gig as well.
“As I said, I wasn’t looking for a move but when it was suggested by the powers that be, I was more than happy to take on the job,” he added.
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