Updated 5.10pm
SINEAD O’CONNOR HAS explained the reasons behind her decision to pull out of a Late Late show appearance, saying an RTÉ staff member was “patronising, insulting and disrespectful”.
The singer, 44, announced yesterday that she would not be appearing as planned on Friday’s show, the first of the new season and due to be hosted by Ryan Tubridy. She said at the time that she would “absolutely” never discuss the reasons behind her change of heart.
However, O’Connor today posted a blog entry on her website saying she believed RTÉ’s reason for having her on the show was to exploit her recent public search for a partner, and make her appear as a “crazy performing monkey”. She said a researcher for the Late Late Show had “asked a number of questions which I found rude, patronising, insulting and disrespectful”, continuing:
The researcher said to me that since I suffer from depression do I not think its insane behaviour to be talking publicly about sex. While it may be called rude, inappropriate, naughty, silly, adolescent etc to talk rudely about sex, it is outrageous to call it ‘insane’.
The singer said the researcher had also asked her what her brother, the novelist Joseph O’Connor, would think of her behaviour. She added she was tired of being labelled “crazy”, and that it had led her to consider suicide. O’Connor also lashed out at the state of Ireland today, suggesting that little has changed since decades gone by.
We are still the same old squinting windows Ireland, the type which had women like me in industrial schools. When u start to feel good about ur self, sure enough someone will come and stomp all over your heart with their steel-toed docs, and tell u u deserved it.
An RTÉ spokeswoman told TheJournal.ie: “While we never discuss specific negotiations around any of guests who have been invited to appear on the show we would like to stress that it was never our intention to cause Sinead any distress. Sinead has been on the show many times over the years and she is always welcome to the show.”
