Plane Speaking Neil Comes Clean

25th Mar 2011

It ain’t what you do it’s the way that you do it. Millions tuned into Neil Prendeville’s first EXCLUSIVE interview on 96FM this morning (sponsored by Flor Griffin Superstore) since he founded the world famous Niall High Club back in October 2010.

Click here to hear the interview in full - includes exclusive Flor Griffin bargains!

Although the frank interview was philosophical and PJ Coogan asked some hard questions, there was no detail or discussion about the incident itself despite the broadcaster emphasising initially that there was “a chicken in the oven” when he got the first phone call indicating that there had been a problem with his in-flight behaviour.

The method through which the bird was slaughtered was unmentioned but choking the chicken was explicitly not ruled out.

Prendeville claims he is no longer welcome on Aer Lingus flights

SEMI

Asked what he has been up to over the last few months Prendeville came clean on his recent movements and on his past.

“I’ve had a privileged lifestyle…I was obnoxious….I was a crap husband…I wasn’t a very good person”.

COMING CLEAN

Prendeville spent some time abroad reflecting on hard times and admits that his incident has hardened attitudes to him on the Irish airline.

“I’m not welcome as a passenger on Aer Lingus anymore”, he stated.

To be fair Aer Lingus have not made any statement regarding taking Prendeville on as a cabin crew member so perhaps the door is open there for an alternative career should his return to Broadcasting House. Who could resist the temptation to ball hop when he asks people to make sure their tables are in the upright position or hands out the in flight magazine?

DUBLINSHOCKA

Despite attributing his drinking to the now famous mid-air shake down and embarrassingly admitting he consumed Guinness in Cork Airport before the flight, Prendeville shockingly admitted that he still has elements of Dublin in his life.

“I’m a flawed person…I’ve been to counselling. I’ve continued every week to drive to Dublin”

Clearly Prendy has some explaining to do to the Cork public who will find this hard to swallow as it contrasts strongly with his comments in the same interview regarding his support of Cork businesses.

Prendeville went to France during the media storm. Wonder where he got that idea?

STICKY MESS

Neil feels he has been punished sufficiently through shame as PJ claimed the station had received many texts suggesting he got off scot free despite what happened.

Although PJ seemed anxious to discuss a boycott of the Irish Examiner for breaking the original story, name checking Eoin English and editor Tim Vaughan and its regular front page updates of same, Neil was gracious about the paper’s treatment of the story admitting that he would have been all over it, literally, had, well….the Cara Magazine been in someone else’s hand.

It might have been a well-rehearsed and choreographed interview with one of his best buddies but this admission couldn’t have been seen as the stroke of a media snake looking to take a dig at his detractors.

BETWEEN A COCK AND A HARD PLACE

As he slips back into his old slot it’s unlikely Prendy can continue as the radio station’s moral beacon as his unique midflight incident provides a veritable infinite blackhole of put-downs, ball-hops and puns for opposing debaters and callers on his show.

That said, with a monstrous 100,000 people listening to his show pre-Tuggate, Monday morning is sure to be a tempting blank canvas to a man who has raised legal green light to perform as usual.

Will he genuinely stay on a more sensitive, more caring new tack or will he back to the Old Neil within weeks rubbing old wounds with sandpaper? And will his fast fingered experience behind a desk and volume sliders be deft enough to detect a wind-up caller at the very first signs of a piss take? Mmmm.

Let he without sin cast the first stone but let he who got caught with his bulb out in public cast the first ball hop. Welcome back Niall, we're nearly ready to leave the school yard now. This repetitive punning is hard work.