Just listening to the latest LOI Central podcast where they had an interview with Stephen Kenny and Chris Shields among others.
I always enjoy listening to Dan McDonnell, but Johnny Ward must have been drunk, he was just so unprofessional. Stephen Kenny was getting annoyed with him because he kept interrupting the guests as they were talking. He's like a child. He'd ask one question, and as the guest starts talking he'll immediately ask a different question (sometimes to a different guest) or just start talking over the guest with his own bullsh!t observations.
The guests spoke well though... when they got a chance.
His style always irritates me on those podcasts. He's like an annoying lad in the pub. They're much more enjoyable when he's not on them.
Upwards to the vanguard where the pressure is too high.
JW was more irritating the usual. I like him generally but im amazed with all the media work hes done over the years that hes never learned on when to stay quiet mid question. its like he gets bored once someone has said 10 words then blurts out another question to keep himself interested. its very annoying. hes much better on OTB saturdays than he is on loi central, dan has his hands full with him there.
He probably was drunk. Wasn’t Dan’s 40th on the Saturday and JW likes to party.
He said on one of the podcasts that someone said they thought he might have some form of ADHD and that mightn’t be too far off the mark. He’s a nice guy but he’s awful on the LOI podcast.
The lads always make a joke at themselves whenever either says “interesting” by repeating it back etc on the pod as they said it so much. JW was on Newstalk one evening and someone said it he repeated it back automatically. The other person had no idea what he was on about.
I was at the live show and found it enjoyable. As team they work as they have a bit of a good cop bad cop thing going on. I liked seeing that side of Kennys personally when having a back and forth with JW. He should show that side more often as he comes across as stiff during Ireland interviews.
I was there too. Really enjoyed it, more than I would've expected to even.
I haven't listened to the recording so don't know how well it comes across. I'd imagine it's a bit of a balancing act to try get it to work well as a podcast and as a live... performance..? Hope they do it again anyway.
But I think on reflection he was just the wrong type of interviewer for Kenny.
Kenny speaks slowly and thoughtfully and often leaves big pauses as he's gathering his thoughts. JW on the other hand wants to be constantly talking so couldn't help butting in all the time.
I'm not sure if JW was drinking or if he was just giddy/nervous because it was their first live show on front of an audience but he was even more disruptive than usual.
I shared some of Kenny's frustration.
Listened to it and JW was definitely a few deep by the time the show started. I don’t mind him personally and he and Dan are a great double act.
I listened to it myself I doubt JW was drinking but was a lot more nervous than normal. Really enjoyed the listen!
Gary Cronin is he the right man to manage Longford Town?
That's the charm of Johnny though. He's a messer - giddy, brazen - but that brings out a different side in interviewees so you often get better answers than one of these repetitive, carbon copy interviews. Kenny has a sense of humour so was having fun with him. I like that good cop/bad cop analogy. It might even be a bit of start pupil/brazen child dynamic.
Yeah, I thought it gave a little peak behind the window of how Kenny deals with various personalities in a dressing room. Not a major one, just a little hint.
I found Johnny's constant interrupting of people's answers to his questions so he could ask new questions annoying when I first started listening in the beginning but agree with most above, grew on me quite quickly and it's the only LOI one I really listen to at all. The show has a good balance of proper conversations while being able to laugh at itself and McDonnell constantly getting wound up by JW just makes it all seem more sincere.
JW redeemed himself on this weeks recording of the live show.
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