Eating Humble Pie: Red-Faced RTÉ Apologises For Crude Joke

A red-faced Brendan O’Connor issued an apology last night for a sick slur aimed at Charlie Haughey’s wife.

Actor and comedian Keith Allen stunned viewers when he made the tasteless joke about Maureen Haughey on O’Connor’s Saturday Night Show earlier this month.

The former Taoiseach’s family got in contact with the station and RTÉ chiefs have no apologised for the crude joke.

Host O’Connor read out a statement during last night’s episode admitting the broadcaster had messed up.

He said: “In the course of an interview with Keith Allen, comments were made about Mrs Maureen Haughey.

“These comments were entirely untrue and without foundation.

“RTÉ acknowledge these remarks were untrue and should not have been made and caused grave offence and distress to Mrs Maureen Haughey and her family.

“RTÉ wishes to apologise to Mrs Maureen Haughey and her family for any offence and distress caused.”

Robin Hood star Allen, 59, the father of singer Lily Allen, appeared on the live show two weeks ago.

O’Connor introduced Allen as a “legendary hellraiser”.

The Welsh-born funnyman’s comment drew a stunned silence from the studio audience and he spluttered, “She’s not still alive?”

O’Connor had to confirm that 87-year-old Maureen Haughey was still alive.

The “joke” prompted a flurry of outraged comments on Twitter, with one person writing: “A vile comment about a dignified and honourable woman.”

After the show, the Haughey family instructed their solicitors to contact RTE chiefs.

Former TD Sean Haughey said: “My mother and my family found it very distressing.”

He has previously told how Maureen Haughey has striven to remain “a very private woman”, despite being the wife of the former Taoiseach, who died in 2006.

The offending clip has now been removed from the RTE website and was pulled from the show’s repeat broadcast.