For a showman like Ardal O'Hanlon, comedy is often the last place to expect him to reveal his vulnerable side. On stage in Belfast, he fell asleep during one of his stand-up routines and woke up mid-sentence – only to realize he was still on stage and could hear someone else doing his jokes. 'I got annoyed,' he admits with a laugh.
This embarrassing incident is not an isolated event for O'Hanlon. He recalls attempting to sail across Lake Geneva as part of a comedy gig, with disastrous results. Another time, he tried to help the authorities catch a pair of sex offenders in prison who were more interested in causing chaos than facing justice – 'they didn't need me', he says wryly.
O'Hanlon's early days in comedy were filled with similar mishaps and misadventures. He once got into an argument with a fellow comedian, Phil Kay, over the best way to sail across Lake Geneva. A judge ultimately stepped in, putting an end to their absurd escapade.
One of O'Hanlon's greatest on-stage disasters was during his stint as Father Dougal in the cult hit 'Father Ted'. In one memorable episode, he wore a wobbly Elvis costume at a lookalike competition – but that's not the most cringeworthy story. Backstage at an Irish music festival, Van Morrison stormed into O'Hanlon's toilet and shouted at him to get out. 'He gave me this very friendly head-butt,' O'Hanlon recalls with amusement.
Despite his rough start in comedy, O'Hanlon has gone on to find success as a stand-up performer, actor, and writer. However, the roots of his showman persona are still rooted firmly in those early years of trying to make people laugh – no matter what it takes.
These days, O'Hanlon is known for more refined pursuits like hosting an Irish-language television program on TG4. When asked about exploring new horizons, he revealed a deep desire to visit Japan – but with one condition: 'I'd do Japan in Spanish with English subtitles.'
This embarrassing incident is not an isolated event for O'Hanlon. He recalls attempting to sail across Lake Geneva as part of a comedy gig, with disastrous results. Another time, he tried to help the authorities catch a pair of sex offenders in prison who were more interested in causing chaos than facing justice – 'they didn't need me', he says wryly.
O'Hanlon's early days in comedy were filled with similar mishaps and misadventures. He once got into an argument with a fellow comedian, Phil Kay, over the best way to sail across Lake Geneva. A judge ultimately stepped in, putting an end to their absurd escapade.
One of O'Hanlon's greatest on-stage disasters was during his stint as Father Dougal in the cult hit 'Father Ted'. In one memorable episode, he wore a wobbly Elvis costume at a lookalike competition – but that's not the most cringeworthy story. Backstage at an Irish music festival, Van Morrison stormed into O'Hanlon's toilet and shouted at him to get out. 'He gave me this very friendly head-butt,' O'Hanlon recalls with amusement.
Despite his rough start in comedy, O'Hanlon has gone on to find success as a stand-up performer, actor, and writer. However, the roots of his showman persona are still rooted firmly in those early years of trying to make people laugh – no matter what it takes.
These days, O'Hanlon is known for more refined pursuits like hosting an Irish-language television program on TG4. When asked about exploring new horizons, he revealed a deep desire to visit Japan – but with one condition: 'I'd do Japan in Spanish with English subtitles.'
Ardal O'Hanlon's comedic misadventures are the stuff of legend! 
It's fascinating how his early experiences, though chaotic and cringe-worthy at times, ultimately shaped him into the charming showman we know today. His willingness to take risks and poke fun at himself is truly endearing.
It's refreshing to see someone in the entertainment industry being so down-to-earth and willing to poke fun at themselves.
. I wish I could've seen him trying to do his jokes mid-sentence 
, Ardal O'Hanlon's story is so relatable - who hasn't had a stage fail or two (or ten)? He's been through the ups and downs of comedy, but it seems like he's found his footing now. 
and van morrison storming into his toilet was definitely a first-class embarrassment 
! but it's clear he's grown from those early days of comedy misadventures and now hosts this awesome irish-language tv show 
.
. now he's all about hosting this cool Irish-language show & visiting Japan w/ subs in Spanish lol what a legend! 
but seriously, that guy's got some crazy stories to share. I mean, sailing across Lake Geneva as part of a comedy gig? 
what was he thinking?! 
talk about taking it too far! 
but hey, at least he's learned from his mistakes and now hosts this Irish-language TV show. and Japan? 
lolol that's quite a condition... maybe he'll stick to acting out Elvis impressions instead 
So, Ardal O'Hanlon's comedy career has been full of laugh-out-loud moments, both on and off stage. I mean, who hasn't had those awkward moments where you're like "wait, what just happened?" 
He's proven that you don't have to be taken seriously as a comedian to make people laugh, and that's what I think makes his career so fascinating.
ardal o'hanonl's comedy career is so relatable lol I've been there too where you just wanna shut up and pretend the audience didn't hear that bad joke 
. It’s like he’s saying all these crazy stories and then you think he’s just joking around, but really it sounds like some messed up stuff went down 
That doesn’t sound like something you just do on a whim... Anyway, I guess that’s the thing about being a comedian, right? You gotta take risks and put yourself out there even if it means looking like an idiot in front of 100 people 
and not letting them define him. plus, who wouldn't want to visit japan?