by COMEDIAN Pat Shortt has revealed how he thought he’d won the lotto when One Direction started singing his Jumbo Breakfast Roll at a massive show in Croke Park.
It was Mullingar man Niall Horan who grabbed the microphone to mimic Pat singing, “two eggs, two rashers, two sausage, two bacon, two puddins, one black and white” to 80,000 fans at the gig in GAA HQ in 2016.
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Among them was Pat’s daughter Faye, who rang her father excitedly with the news.
Pat told The Irish Sun: “Faye said the crowd went absolutely mental. She was thrilled because One Direction were singing her dad’s song.”
Industry insiders thought the performing royalties could have D’Unbelievable too, with Pat perhaps picking up €4,000 from the performance royalties, due to such a big crowd. But in the end Pat didn’t earn a cent.
He laughed: “Niall Horan would have had to sing the whole of Jumbo Breakfast Roll for me to be paid royalties but he only sang a few lines. I couldn’t expect Niall to get through the whole song and all the verses.”
However, very impressed indeed was Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe who Pat was having dinner with in a London restaurant when Faye called.
The two men were then appearing on stage in a West End production of Martin McDonagh’s dark comedy, The Cripple of Inishmaan.
Pat recalled: “Daniel said he had more respect for One Direction after hearing they were doing Jumbo Breakfast Roll.
“They should have got Daniel in to sing it for them cause he found the song on YouTube, thought it was gas, and learned all the lines — so he knew it better than I did.”
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The comedy track with “sugar in a bowl” has become synonymous with Pat since he released it as a novelty single in 2006 — and saw it top the Irish charts for six weeks.
And now fans could be tucking into Pat Shortt’s very own ‘Jumbo Breakfast’ in their homes, after it was added to the Deliveroo service.
Pat said: “I’ve had all sorts of offers over the years from garages asking me to change the lyrics to chicken fillet roll. But I never done anything with it.
“That is until Sean Murray of Hosted Kitchens came along with this idea of delivering the Pat Shortt Jumbo Breakfast to students and people with hangovers at home.
WALKING THE RED CARPET
“It was a brainwave to do it. I’m working as a brand ambassador. But having owned a pub and being from a food background, I know these people know what they’re doing and the stuff will be good.”
Pat is jetting out to the Newport Beach Film Festival in the US this week where his new short film Warts and All is being screened.
But the Tipperary man will also be walking the red carpet at the LA premiere of McDonagh’s movie The Banshees of Inisherin, in which he stars with Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson.
And the 54-year-old is also keeping busy with a nationwide tour of Ireland with Faye in a new comedy show.
TINY MONEY FOR FATHER TED
Pat chuckles at the notion he could live off his royalties from Father Ted, endlessly repeated on RTE2 and E4, and starring Pat in six episodes as madman Tom with his ‘I Shot JR’ T-shirt.
Pat said: “I haven’t had a cheque from Father Ted in about 15 years. I never got any money from Father Ted repeats. None of us did, apart from video and DVD sales, which weren’t part of our original contract. But the DVD sales are over because it’s all online now.
“In hindsight, we got paid tiny money for doing Father Ted. We should have been paid better.
“But I was 23, the D’Unbelievables were only starting out. We didn’t have agents and we were delighted to be on Channel 4, this exciting new channel.
“And Father Ted did help launch my career.”
KILLINASKULLY REPEATS
However, Pat does get paid for repeats of Killinaskully airing on RTE on Sunday nights, which sometimes pulls in over 300,000 viewers.
His fellow cast, including Father Ted colleague Joe Rooney, get money from the repeats of the rural comedy, which originally aired from 2004 to 2008 on RTE TV.
Pat revealed: “I was a producer on Killinaskully and I’m delighted I was able to get residuals into the contracts for the actors.
“Everybody gets a few bob for the repeats. It’s not loads of money but it’s enough as a mark of respect for their contribution to making such great telly.”
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The Killinaskully re-runs have also brought Pat’s characters Dan Clancy and Willie Power to a new younger audience.
He said: “I’m starting to get recognised again and asked for selfies. As an actor you go through periods where you are very recognisable, then patches where you’re off TV and you’re not noticed.
“Suddenly I’ve been spotted again and by loads of young people. I couldn’t work it out at first. Then I realised it was all the repeats of Killinaskully on RTE.
“I’m proud of the show’s longevity and the fact that it’s still doing the business after such a long time.”
NO PLANS FOR MORE EPISODES
Pat said there are no plans by RTE to bring back his comedy with new episodes.
He said: “It would seem an obvious move, given the figures Killinaskully is doing.
“But RTE haven’t asked and I haven’t pushed it with them. They’re nurturing new comedy talent and I get that. They helped me.”
Pat is involved with the return of RTE Radio One’s critically acclaimed Spoken Stories.
‘HAVING A BLAST’
It airs tonight at 7:30pm and on November 13 features Pat reading the short story Old Fires by author Billy O’Callaghan.
When Pat returns from the US, he will also resume his nationwide tour, Live & Well, with Faye, playing Killarney INEC on November 19.
Pat said: “It’s a great way to earn a living, being on the road with your daughter. We’re having a blast.
“You’d be surprised at how women outnumber men in theatres and Faye cracks them up with her material. Her voice is really coming through and I couldn’t be happier.”
Pat can be also seen as crazy chef Skillet Ryan in online videos promoting Pat Shortt’s Jumbo Breakfast. He joked: “Did I base it on a crazy chef? Of course I did, but aren’t all those chefs feckin crazy?”
To have Pat Shortt’s Jumbo Breakfast delivered straight to your door, simply search for it on Deliveroo.
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