DANIEL O’DONNELL LEAVES PACKIE BONNER RED-FACED WITH HILARIOUS STORY ON THE LATE LATE SHOW
It was laughter all around on The Late Late Show as Daniel O’Donnell celebrated his 60th birthday with friends, family, and a host of special guests. Among them was Irish goalkeeping hero Packie Bonner, who found himself at the centre of one of the night’s funniest moments thanks to a story Daniel shared that left the audience in stitches.
Recalling their joint appearance years ago on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, Daniel explained how he and Bonner had been faced with a question that seemed tailor-made for the football star: to place a list of footballers in order of their ages.
“When I heard a question about football, I thought well, that’s the end of me,” Daniel admitted with a grin. “Packie Bonner will know this. It was about the ages of some footballers in order and lo and behold if I didn’t get it right — and of course, I beat Packie!”
The crowd erupted in laughter, especially when Daniel added, “Packie said to me, ‘I’ll never be able to go home. You beat me at a football question.’”
As Daniel relished retelling the story, Packie, clearly embarrassed but good-humored, tried to interrupt: “I have to stop you, because this was a set-up.” His protest only drew more laughter, with host Ryan Tubridy stepping in to remind the Donegal singer that it was his birthday and he had the floor: “Let the birthday boy tell the story!”
Bonner, Ireland’s World Cup hero, could only laugh along as the audience roared, eventually conceding with a smile, “It had to be a set-up, can I say — Daniel must have been tipped off!”
The exchange was one of many lighthearted highlights on a night that celebrated Daniel O’Donnell’s six decades of life and his remarkable career in music. Known for his warmth and down-to-earth personality, Daniel showed yet again why he remains one of Ireland’s most cherished entertainers.
The playful banter between O’Donnell and Bonner also underscored something both men share — a deep bond with Donegal and an ability to laugh at themselves. For the audience in the studio and those watching at home, it was a reminder that even national icons can be caught out in the most unexpected and hilarious ways.
As the evening went on, tributes and performances honored Daniel’s milestone, but it was the story of a football question that stumped a goalkeeper and crowned a singer that many viewers said they would remember most.