Brendan Courtney
Encyclopedia
Brendan Courtney is an Irish comedian and television presenter, the first openly gay presenter in Ireland. He has hosted Wanderlust on RTÉ Two
, The Brendan Courtney Show
on TV3, Playdate
on ITV2
and Off the Rails on RTÉ One
.
's Wanderlust and ITV1
's Love Match UK. Courtney was the main developer of the idea of Wanderlust. He previously hosted The Brendan Courtney Show
, a prime time talk show on Ireland's TV3
In October 2006, Courtney became the presenter on ITV2
's late night dating show Playdate
.
From 2006 - 2008 he hosted and produced The Clothes Show
with Caryn Franklyn and Louise Redknapp, As of Autumn 2008, he co-hosts RTÉ One
's Off the Rails.
Brendan has long been associated with British fashion brand the clothes show live, frequently hosting at the flagship event Clothes Show Live
in Birmingham.
He was on the panel of judges on Ladies' Day at the 138th Discover Ireland Horse Show on 4 August 2011. He has also judged Alternative Miss Ireland
in The George, Dublin
.
.
In August 2009, he spoke at a rally in Dublin requesting full marriage equality.
Courtney was battered by a gay bashing
stranger while walking home down South Great George's Street in Dublin in 2011. A man in his early twenties punched him in the face and shouted "queer
" before running away. Courtney said it was "disgraceful" that such an incident could occur in Dublin. He told Liveline
that more than 50 other gay people had told him of their own experiences of being assaulted or verbally abused in towns nationwide.
RTÉ Two
RTÉ Two is a free-to-air general entertainment channel operated by Irish state broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann. RTÉ Two is available throughout the island of Ireland through digital terrestrial service Saorview, VHF and UHF bands, and is also available via satellite to Irish subscribers of...
, The Brendan Courtney Show
The Brendan Courtney Show
The Brendan Courtney Show is an Irish weekly chat show hosted by Brendan Courtney. It was first broadcast on TV3 on 9 November 2005 and aired for one series until 15 February 2006....
on TV3, Playdate
Playdate
Playdate is a British television dating programme that was made by Hamma & Glamma Productions for ITV. It was screened Monday to Fridays on ITV Play between 8.00pm and 10.00pm, and daily on ITV2 between 1.00am and 4.00am...
on ITV2
ITV2
ITV2 is a 24 hour, free-to-air entertainment television channel in the United Kingdom owned by ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. It was launched on 7 December 1998, and is available on digital television via satellite, cable, IPTV and terrestrial platforms. The channel has the...
and Off the Rails on RTÉ One
RTÉ One
RTÉ One is the flagship television channel of Raidió Teilifís Éireann , and it is the most popular and most watched television channel in Ireland. It was launched as Telefís Éireann on 31 December 1961, it was renamed RTÉ Television in 1966, and it was renamed as RTÉ One upon the launch of RTÉ...
.
Career
Brendan began his career on RTÉ TwoRTÉ Two
RTÉ Two is a free-to-air general entertainment channel operated by Irish state broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann. RTÉ Two is available throughout the island of Ireland through digital terrestrial service Saorview, VHF and UHF bands, and is also available via satellite to Irish subscribers of...
's Wanderlust and ITV1
ITV1
ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...
's Love Match UK. Courtney was the main developer of the idea of Wanderlust. He previously hosted The Brendan Courtney Show
The Brendan Courtney Show
The Brendan Courtney Show is an Irish weekly chat show hosted by Brendan Courtney. It was first broadcast on TV3 on 9 November 2005 and aired for one series until 15 February 2006....
, a prime time talk show on Ireland's TV3
In October 2006, Courtney became the presenter on ITV2
ITV2
ITV2 is a 24 hour, free-to-air entertainment television channel in the United Kingdom owned by ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. It was launched on 7 December 1998, and is available on digital television via satellite, cable, IPTV and terrestrial platforms. The channel has the...
's late night dating show Playdate
Playdate
Playdate is a British television dating programme that was made by Hamma & Glamma Productions for ITV. It was screened Monday to Fridays on ITV Play between 8.00pm and 10.00pm, and daily on ITV2 between 1.00am and 4.00am...
.
From 2006 - 2008 he hosted and produced The Clothes Show
The Clothes Show
The Clothes Show is a British television show about fashion that can currently be seen weeknights on Really. It was formerly broadcast on BBC One from 1986 to 2000.-BBC series :...
with Caryn Franklyn and Louise Redknapp, As of Autumn 2008, he co-hosts RTÉ One
RTÉ One
RTÉ One is the flagship television channel of Raidió Teilifís Éireann , and it is the most popular and most watched television channel in Ireland. It was launched as Telefís Éireann on 31 December 1961, it was renamed RTÉ Television in 1966, and it was renamed as RTÉ One upon the launch of RTÉ...
's Off the Rails.
Brendan has long been associated with British fashion brand the clothes show live, frequently hosting at the flagship event Clothes Show Live
Clothes Show Live
The Clothes Show Live is a consumer exhibition brand consisting of two shows held annually each May in ExCeL, London and December in Birmingham's National Exhibition Centre. The events showcase latest fashion, beauty and music trends on large and often interactive features and stands...
in Birmingham.
He was on the panel of judges on Ladies' Day at the 138th Discover Ireland Horse Show on 4 August 2011. He has also judged Alternative Miss Ireland
Alternative Miss Ireland
The Alternative Miss Ireland is an annual event which takes place in Dublin, Ireland on the Sunday closest to St. Patrick's Day, 17 March. It occurs over about 3 and a half hours and features a pastiche of the beauty pageant rounds inspired by Andrew Logan's Alternative Miss World, with...
in The George, Dublin
The George, Dublin
The George is a pub and nightclub on South Great George's Street in the city centre of Dublin, Ireland. Opened in 1985—eight years before homosexuality was legalised in Ireland—it is one of the nation's oldest gay bars and clubs. It is regarded as one of the best known gay bars in the...
.
Personal life
Courtney is a long-term friend of Katherine LynchKatherine Lynch
Katherine Lynch is an Irish television personality from County Leitrim.Lynch is known for several television series broadcast on RTÉ Two: Katherine Lynch's Working Girls , Katherine Lynch's Wonderwomen , in which she plays a variety of unusual characters such as Singin' Bernie Walsh, Liz Hurley and...
.
In August 2009, he spoke at a rally in Dublin requesting full marriage equality.
Courtney was battered by a gay bashing
Gay bashing
Gay bashing and gay bullying is verbal or physical abuse against a person who is perceived to be gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender . Such abuse is used also to bully heterosexual persons and persons of non-specific or unknown sexual orientation.A "bashing" may be a specific incident, and one...
stranger while walking home down South Great George's Street in Dublin in 2011. A man in his early twenties punched him in the face and shouted "queer
Queer
Queer is an umbrella term for sexual minorities that are not heterosexual, heteronormative, or gender-binary. In the context of Western identity politics the term also acts as a label setting queer-identifying people apart from discourse, ideologies, and lifestyles that typify mainstream LGBT ...
" before running away. Courtney said it was "disgraceful" that such an incident could occur in Dublin. He told Liveline
LiveLine
Liveline is an Irish radio interview and phone-in chat show broadcast on RTÉ Radio 1 each weekday afternoon between 13.45 and 15.00. The programme, which is currently presented by Joe Duffy and known for its slogan "Talk to Joe", seeks the public's opinion on various questions, normally one or more...
that more than 50 other gay people had told him of their own experiences of being assaulted or verbally abused in towns nationwide.
External links
- Interview with Brendan Courtney, RTÉ Fashion, Sarah McIntyre, 23 March 2009