TV CLASH REVISITED: Dermot Bannon Calls Daniel O’Donnell “Frugal Until He Dies” After Infamous Room to Improve Feud
It was the episode that had Ireland talking — and now, Dermot Bannon has reignited the debate. The host of RTÉ’s Room to Improve has once again addressed his infamous clash with Donegal crooner Daniel O’Donnell, insisting the millionaire singer will remain “frugal until the day he dies.”
The pair’s on-screen feud last season became the most-watched episode in the history of the popular architecture series, drawing an average audience of 722,000 viewers. The tension centered on the renovation budget for Daniel and his wife Majella’s Donegal home, which ballooned from €200,000 to nearly double that figure at €395,000.
Speaking to the Irish Daily Mirror, Bannon reflected on the experience with both candor and admiration. “Daniel is one of those people, I don’t think he cares — he could make €2 million, or €20 million, or €20,000. He does what he does, and he will be frugal until the day he dies. That’s just the way he is.”
Despite O’Donnell’s reported net worth of €31 million, Bannon emphasized that the singer’s careful nature with money was not negative but deeply rooted in his upbringing. “He just doesn’t like waste, and that was him. Whether you earn €20,000 or €2 million, if you’ve been brought up in a frugal background, that’s who you are. He puts a huge value on money — in a good way — and he knows the worth of everything.”
Describing Daniel and Majella O’Donnell as “the most ordinary people you could meet,” the Dublin architect highlighted the humility of life in Donegal. “It’s not a showy county. It’s not the done thing to wear your wealth. Daniel really reflects that. For someone who makes millions a year, you’d expect him to send clothes out to be ironed — but I’ve seen him do all of his ironing and Majella’s ironing. He even ironed my shirt! He lives a very simple life.”
Bannon admitted he could relate to O’Donnell’s frugality, describing his own father as “incredibly frugal” and sharing that he himself would drive 10 miles to save a couple of cents on petrol. “I suppose I’m the same. I was brought up that way,” he added.
The episode, which captured the public’s imagination, revealed both the tensions and the charm that come when a perfectionist architect meets a no-nonsense Donegal star. Bannon admitted the attention was overwhelming. “I have a love/hate relationship with the show. I love making it, but when the fuss comes and it’s out on air, I find it very hard to handle. As the shows got bigger, that part became more difficult.”
Still, he acknowledged the draw of Room to Improve remains irresistible. “It’s like a drug. I still go back to it. I’d make it for the rest of my life if they let me.”
While their feud made headlines, what remains clear is the mutual respect beneath the banter. Bannon may call Daniel “frugal,” but he also paints a portrait of a man grounded in simplicity and values, despite a life of wealth and fame. And for fans, the memory of the clash between Ireland’s favorite architect and Donegal’s favorite son remains one of the most entertaining chapters in Irish television.