Yes, you did read that correctly.
Dustin the Turkey has responded to the, ahem, backlash caused by his recent Comic Relief sketch featuring Niall Horan.
The anthropomorphic turkey caused a bit of ruckus over the weekend following a comedy bit on RTÉ Does Comic Relief in which he interrupted Mullingar’s own Niall Horan to complain that he wasn’t, in fact, Harry Styles.
Dustin returned to screens across the country on Friday night alongside old colleagues Ray D’Arcy, Zig, and Zag in a bid to bring a bit of much needed nostalgia into our lives via a mini-reboot of the iconic kids TV show, The Den.
They're back!!!! #RTEComicRelief @comicrelief pic.twitter.com/ZkWR0WVkul
— RTÉ One (@RTEOne) June 26, 2020
It was during the programme that Dustin took it upon himself to interrupt Niall Horan during a Zoom performance of his hit track, ‘Black and White’ to say that he wished Harry Styles was on the call instead. As a joke. For comedy.
Horan’s fans, however, weren’t too taken with the turkey, accusing him (and Ray D’Arcy, for some reason) of being “disgusting” and “unprofessional.”
A fan page aptly named ‘Niall Updates’ led the charge against the puppet, later clarifying that they didn’t know that “getting roasted by this Dustin the Turkey is considered an honour.”
Dustin has since addressed the controversy (is that what we’re calling it now?) stating that he does, indeed, love Niall Horan, Americans, and of course, the craic.
“Lads…” he began on Twitter today. “I’m a lover, not a fighter… I Love @NiallOfficial. I Love Americans. I Love The Craic.”
The turkey then added the ‘Be Kind’ hashtag and made a reference to Kim Kardashian.
Well, thank God that’s all been sorted out. Now, onto the good stuff.
RTÉ Does Comic relief raised over €5,000,000 (including a government donation) for charities up and down the country last week, providing vital funds for those struggling during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The very decent lineup included sketches and performances from the likes of Derry Girls, Niall Horan, Saoirse Ronan, Hozier, Paul Mescal, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Andrew Scott, Aisling Bea, and many, many others.
Phone lines are now closed but you can continue to donate here for the next two weeks.
Or at least show Dustin a bit of love. He needs it.
