1. RTE And Ryan Tubridy Up To Their Old Tricks On The Late Late Again

I will admit I have never liked Tubs or The Late Late even before Covid. Since COVID took over our lives I have become even more entrenched in that point of view.

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2. As sure as death and taxes, you can always be sure that RTE will work the COVID angle into their Friday night "misery". They didn’t disappoint. For some weird reason my wife watches the show. On Saturday morning she told me Joe Schmidt, the ex Irish rugby coach had been on.

3. My spidey senses went off. Joe who is back in New Zealand who are Zero COVID. I decided I had to have a listen to the segment to see how RTE were going to spin it. I expect this is how the conversation went before the show.

4. "Joe, we’d love to have you on to talk about epilepsy and a bit of rugby. We’ll also donate a bit of cash to the epilepsy fund"

Joe is an incredibly honourable man and couldn’t say no. His son suffers from a severe form of epilepsy.

5. The intention though was to really discuss Zero COVID. It didn’t quite work out as planned though as Joe is a very honest man and doesn’t sugarcoat anything. That’s maybe why he was a successful rugby coach.

6. It was quite revealing. We learned a lot about the horrors of quarantining in hotels. We also got to hear how a child with epilepsy is still made to wear a mask. Extraordinary stuff.

Straight off the bat Tubs decided to go for the jugular.

7. Joe’s daughter is getting married in NZ & Tubs wanted to know what a wedding in NZ would be like in Zero COVID NZ. Joe explained, then we had to witness the faux “ham” acting of Tubs playing it up for the camera & the gullible audience at home. Tubs head in hands

8. Tubs talking about NZ being the test case for a return to normality. Everyone in NZ is subject to the 3 Ts according to Joe. They can be traced, tracked and tested when they've downloaded the app

9. Next we heard about the Joe’s son having an epileptic fit on the bus on the way to the quarantine hotel. These are not uncommon but listening to him and the stress involved as he didn’t have a mask, it must have been a nightmare.

10. Finally we heard about their time in the quarantine hotel run by soldiers. They are only allowed out of their room for two 30 minute periods a day for exercise. Seems like a real utopia doesn’t it. These are the horrors that await people. You heard it from the horses mouth.

11. Once in the hotel, you are tested twice then even when released back into the community there is talk of further testing and isolation.

12. I expect the producers were then screaming in Tub's ear saying "Bring it back to the epilepsy, the viewers don't need to hear the truth about the horrors of it and how dystopian the whole set-up is"

13. I’m surprised RTE didn’t edit that part out of the show as they wouldn’t want people to know the truth. RTE and their ridiculously overpaid TV presenters are already pushing hard for quarantining anyone entering the country as it is.

14. RTE Prime Time even having "Mehole" on to talk about it as well. Isn't this the same show that Miriam O Callaghan normally presents? The same Miriam O Callaghan that didn't even get a slap on the wrists for breaking the lockdown rules. https://twitter.com/RTE_PrimeTime/status/1357452937920991237?s=20

15. Did I forget to mention that NZ is not Zero covid and Auckland is in a 3 day lockdown. Just 3 days, of course it will be. Well played RTE & Ryan for providing an outstanding show. Use & abuse anyone who appears on it for your own devious agenda. https://www.rte.ie/news/coronavirus/2021/0215/1197124-coronavirus-global/