nolan

There are very few people that dent my pride in being Northern Irish more than Stephen Nolan.I have listened to the late night weekend show on Radio 5 for many years – I remember Edwina Curry presenting it – I disagreed with the vast majority of what she said but she presented most topics in an almost balanced way. I remember Richard Bacon presenting it – as I listened I tended to get a mental picture of him sniffing drugs on Blue Peter but he was amiable and interesting. Now we have Nolan. I disliked him intensely on Northern Irish TV and radio – now he’s gone national I like him even less.

On Saturday I actually switched stations – and for someone as lazy as me that’s a big deal. He was hosting a phone in about, amongst other things, Graham Norton admitting taking drugs. When I say ‘amongst other things’ I mean he would take the odd call on other topics, discuss it for ten seconds and then ask the call what he thought of a millionaire presenter taking drugs. The man was fixated on Norton’s pay package. The more he went on the more I began to wonder if perhaps the lady was protesting too much. Surely a presenter who admits he has taken drugs and actually found them a pleasant experience is better than one who describes them as horrendous things – then heads for the nearest nightclub toilet to sniff some coke off someone’s bald head. But that’s just my opinion and not actually relevant. Nolan’s obvious agenda “Do you think it’s fair that someone earning millions each year spends it on drugs – that’s licence payers money you know – you’re paying someone to buy drugs! Your license fee is going to some back street dealer!” made me feel queasy.

And yet the man is nominated for award after award and people hang on his every word. It disturbs me how someone who makes statements so far left field of rational sensible opinion (well, from my point of view anyway) strikes such a cord with the general public. Is it me who is the odd one out in this society?