September 13th 2024.
Patrick Kielty was overcome with worry as he realized that he may have passed on shingles to none other than the Pope himself. This frightening thought came to him after he met Pope Francis at the Vatican during his trip there in June. The popular host of The Late Late Show was among a group of 100 comedians and artists who had the honor of meeting the Pope, an experience that Kielty described as both surreal and "a weird fever dream."
During his time in Rome, Kielty noticed that part of his face had become swollen. At first, he attributed this to the DIY work he had been doing on his house back home. "The week beforehand, we were doing up a house, and I was lifting loft insulation and I thought I actually got loft insulation in my face. [My face] had all swollen up," he shared with PA. However, upon meeting the Pope and removing his sunglasses, he could sense a physical recoil from the leader of the Catholic Church. "What's going on with this fella?" Kielty imagined the Pope thinking. It wasn't until later that he discovered he had shingles, leading him to believe that he may have passed it on to the Pope. But luckily, when Kielty saw the Pope again the following week, he was in full health and able to receive his blessings with relief and gratitude.
Kielty admitted that when he first received the invitation to meet the Pope, he thought it was a joke. "As a comedian, you're always reasonably sort of... is this for real? I thought it was a joke," he shared. He couldn't help but feel like he was living in an episode of the classic sitcom Father Ted. "Then you see [actor] Ardal [O'Hanlon] is there and like everybody else, you're going, right Father Ted. So just when you're thinking Father Dougal's going to meet the Pope then Whoopi Goldberg arrives in a car, who was by far the most popular person in the Vatican that day. Sister Act, apparently, at the Vatican," he joked.
But jokes aside, Kielty, who hails from Northern Ireland and is originally from Dundrum, was met with curiosity during his first series hosting The Late Late Show. As he prepares for the next series, he is ready to take the good with the bad and simply aims to make the best show possible. Kielty is married to fellow celebrity Cat Deeley and the couple has two children. While his wife is currently co-hosting This Morning with Ben Shephard, Kielty divides his time between London and Dublin for work. He believes they have "the best of both worlds" and has no plans to relocate to Ireland anytime soon, even though he still considers Dundrum his home.
The Late Late Show returns tonight at 9.35pm and Kielty is excited for what's to come. If you have a celebrity story, video, or pictures, please reach out to The Agency entertainment team via email, phone, or by visiting their Submit Stuff page – they would love to hear from you.
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