‘Never say never’ – comedian Bernard O’Shea not ruling out return to 2FM

O’Shea, who appeared on Republic of Telly, co-created 1980s-inspired ­series Bridget and Eamon and hosted 2FM show Breakfast Republic with Jennifer Zamparelli and Keith Walsh, became a stay-at-home dad during Covid.

The pandemic resulted in the live entertainment industry effectively shutting down. During this time, the comedian moved to Limerick with his wife Lorna and their three children, Olivia, Tadhg and Sean.

“For us it happened [because of] Covid,” he said. “I have no full-time job. I have never had full-time work. During Covid all the gigs had stopped, and all the telly had stopped. So I had to do it. It was the circumstance for us.”

But being a father is a role he relishes. “It’s brilliant… I am there. I pick them up, I drop them off, I put chicken dippers in the air fryer,” he added, laughing.

“[In my show] I will be talking about struggling to find parking outside ­supermarkets, being driven to despair trying to put in car seats. I have basically spent the past five years hoping my kids don’t spill various milk-based products on my couch.

“And I don’t get to sit down any more. I used to sit down for hours, now, the minute I sit down it’s, ‘Dad! Dad! Dad!’.”

The comedian worked on Breakfast Republic with Zamparelli and Walsh for five years before it was cancelled in 2019 and replaced with Doireann Garrihy and Eoghan McDermott’s breakfast show.

There has been much upheaval in 2FM of late, with Garrihy, Zamparelli and the 2 Johnnies all leaving the station within a matter of weeks.

While the shifts in the schedule have been covered extensively, O’Shea said he hasn’t been following the changes.

“For me, it has been seven or eight years ago I worked there. So because I was out of it for so long, I wasn’t ­keeping an eye on it to be honest,” he said.

“She [Zamparelli] did amazingly, I think she was there in total for 10 years, which is phenomenal. But every radio station changes their line-up.

“My own experience in radio is you’re in and out of gigs all the time.”

Asked if he would consider returning to the station, he said he wouldn’t rule it out.

“I would never say never to anything, but stand-up is my first love,” he said.

O’Shea was speaking at the launch of the Paddy Power Comedy Festival, which will take place in Dublin’s Iveagh Gardens from July 25 to 28.

The line-up includes Tommy Tiernan, Dara Ó Briain, Foil Arms & Hog, ­Deirdre O’Kane and Jason Byrne.

“It’s like a homecoming, it’s like the comedy embassy for a few days,” he said.

“It’s a festival for the comedians as much as it is for the punters.”