BBC trying to make up for past mistakes
Gerry Kelly on being ‘too male and stale’ in a world of young presenters
HE may be 72 years old but legendary broadcaster Gerry Kelly has no plans to hang up his microphone — despite being “replaced by a female under 40”.
Indeed, in an ideal world, the Ardglass man would still be hosting his own chat show, like he did for 17 hugely successful years on UTV.
But, speaking to the Belfast Telegraph, the veteran TV and radio star said such a development is highly unlikely in the current climate.
“Life has changed so much,” he said.
“Having the chat show was the dream job for me.
“If you work in television now for 17 weeks it’s regarded as a success, so to do it for 17 years was amazing.
“But it will never be repeated in this day and age; that’s not the way television has gone.”
He added: “Broadcasting bosses are definitely looking towards female and youth these days, and I’m neither of those.
“I was doing two shows for BBC NI up until last Christmas, and was then replaced by a female under 40.”
At the end of 2019, four highly experienced and popular BBC NI presenters — Wendy Austin, Karen Paterson, Noel Thompson and Seamus Mckee — took voluntary severance from the corporation.
“There seemed to be a bit of a sea change going on within the BBC,” Kelly said.
“There’s certainly been a changing of the guard there. If you’re young and female, your future’s with the BBC.”
Kelly, who is married to Helena, with whom he has two daughters — Sarah (41) and Claire (39) — said he has “worked with strong-willed women both at home and at work for 40 years” and insisted that he has “no problem with women”.
“My last two producers of the Kelly Show were female — strong-willed, very capable, brilliant people,” he said.
“But the BBC in particular are trying to redress old mistakes that they made in past years with not employing females.”
Kelly said he is currently working on “a major national documentary that I can’t talk about”.
But it is as the host of the hugely popular Friday night show, bearing his name, that Kelly will be best remembered for.
The show ran from 1989 until 2005 and was twice voted the most entertaining programme in Northern Ireland.
Kelly made a rare appearance on our TV screens recently, as a contributor to a documentary celebrating the career of his former UTV colleague Gloria Hunniford.
It prompted one Twitter user to suggest that he “should be back on the airwaves”, to which the father-of-two replied: “Viewed as pale, male and stale I’m afraid. Thanks for your kind thoughts anyway.”
He said that was “a joke with a jag”, adding that “obviously the ‘pale’ part doesn’t come into the equation, but male and stale is certainly a problem here and it has been.”
Despite being on the airwaves a lot less these days, and a septuagenarian, Kelly stressed that he has “no interest in retiring” and instead plans to “keep on broadcasting or podcasting”.
“I want to broadcast, whatever shape or form that might take, be it radio or television,” Kelly insisted.
“I still want to do television. “We had plans last year to do other stuff but the pandemic put paid to all that and it looks as if that could repeat itself this year. “I still want to be relevant. “I don’t want my age or my maleness to go against me.”
He admitted, however, that his family think he should be “taking it a bit easier” but, as he said, “I’ve no wish to do that”.
“I don’t want to be working seven days a week the way I used to but I still want to be involved and I think I’ve something to contribute,” he said.
“It’s not being a star or a television personality, it’s work.
“It’s just the will and the want to keep on working.
“I don’t want to sit back with my slippers on, or play golf seven days a week.”
The grandfather of three — Bronwyn (7), Tadhg (5) and Rory (2) — said age “really is only a number”.
But he said there is no substitute for experience.
“There is a new generation out there and they all deserve their turn,” he said.
“I’m not trying to take away from that.
“The young people deserve to have their opportunity.
“I don’t want to be doing frontline programmes and taking away from the very rich talent of young people that are coming into the business but I think there’s a role for the older person.”
Describing Gloria, who has just turned 80, as “still relevant”, “fantastic” and someone “who still wants to broadcast”, Kelly said be believes there is “a certain section of the community who want to see a wiser, older face”.
‘I don’t want to take away from the talent of young people coming into the business, but I think there’s a role for the older person’