r/northernireland • u/AbeltonSkive • 1d ago
Discussion Why is Nolan refusing to talk about Jeffrey Donaldson?
He banged on for years about Bobby Storys funeral. He's been banging on about Michelle O'Neill for weeks now every single day on his show, yet he refuses to talk about a much bigger story in Jeffrey Donaldson. For months his line was 'No no no we can't talk about that as there's a live case ongoing' - fair enough but since his conviction he refuses to let the public call in and give their opinion. He has grilled absolutly NOBODY in the DUP about who knew what in terms of his hidden life in London, drinking, gay saunas.
His complete and obvious avoidance of the Jeffrey subject really is just plain weird to me. I can help but think he has a hidden life himself.
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u/DecentTry8640 1d ago
Nolan is a twat who is only interested in stoking hatred and division imo.
BBC sounds has old recording of the Gerry Anderson show which I was listening to a couple of years ago due to the nostalgia (they're surprisingly hilarious). His utter disdain for Nolan in the 90s is impressive.
I've seen nothing over the years to change my mind.
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u/loudboxer85 1d ago
I absolutely loved listening to Gerry every day, losing his show was probably the last time I listened to the radio regularly. We didn't know how good we had it!
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u/DecentTry8640 1d ago
Yea, it was always on in our house so, being a child I didn't really pay attention. I found the BBC sounds stuff by accident and was hooked.
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u/IrishVictim88270 1d ago
The wee lady who lost her black cat, but it was OK, cause another wee black cat showed up and has moved in with her.
Gerry asking is she sure it isn't the same cat.
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u/eatingmaggotsmichael 1d ago
My mum always had Gerry Anderson playing in the afternoons when she was making the dinner. I’d be sitting at the kitchen table doing homework. Thanks for reminding me of some memories of my wee mummy when she was in good health
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u/Formal_Broccoli1877 1d ago
I missed out on Gerry Anderson altogether by the time I started listening. My first time seeing it was some wallace and gromit style animation of the call with a farmer hypnotising a chicken and it was hilarious. I need to check out those old recordings more
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u/DecentTry8640 1d ago
yep, they were hilarious. Think there were 5 or 6 of the animation things that you can find on youtube but the old recordings are a good way to have a chuckle. Thoroughly recommend.
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u/Alarming_Lettuce_358 1d ago
It's the biggest political scandal to come out of NI in quite a while, so it's odd that it's not getting mass coverage. Bias is a possible factor, but also, in a strange kinda way, the story ended yesterday. Fella is rightly going down for a long stretch.
Obviously there are appeals and internal investigations that might refresh the narrative, but there was a catharsis yesterday, at least for those not directly impacted by his conduct. He will spend many years in prison and die in absolute disgrace. That's hopefully the final note in this tale.
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u/Careful_Dimension233 1d ago
His part ended yesterday. The wife is still bouncing about. The DUP has questions to answer. The church has questions to answer.
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u/Highlyironicacid31 1d ago
How can she even show her face anywhere in the country?
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u/DoireK Derry 1d ago
Nolan is a unionist and talking about Donaldson is damaging to his own personal political beliefs. Simple as that.
BBCNI and UTV are run by unionists, this really shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone.
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u/thememealchemist421 1d ago
Consider also that he'd go from being the top earner at BBC NI to a glorified regional celebrity who RTÉ wouldn't employ outside local radio.
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u/heavysausagedublin 1d ago
So nothing to do with a self admitted sex pest minimising the crimes of a convicted sexual abuser.....
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u/FerrariF90 1d ago
And what are those beliefs Steve Nolan has, since you seem to be very knowledgeable?
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u/Happy_Mistake_3684 1d ago
“Nolan, and the BBC, have a pro-unionist bias” would be the worlds least shocking headline
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u/Sleebling_33 1d ago
Nolan knows if he opens that can of worms, it causes an implosion in Unionism. There is no way disgraced peadophile, former leader of the DUP and Orange Order Member Jeffrey Donaldson acted in isolation.
We have already had others come out about his drinking. Others have came out and mentioned that he got a church to hold a reconciliation meeting with his victims and did not come forward.
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u/BMoiz 1d ago
As someone from England who gets recommended this sub by the algorithm, does any other community in the UK listen to a BBC local radio show as intently as you guys listen to Nolan? It’s every day another thread popping up where you’re all mad as hell.
If you stopped listening to him and talking about him as much maybe the BBC would get rid of his show and your collective blood pressure would lower
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u/CompetitiveSort0 1d ago
The sub is full of people looking to be outraged. Whether it's Nolan, Bryson or whatever political figure you don't align with says on the day. Each side will accuse the other of doing this while being completely ignorant they're the other side of the coin.
We've spent the last 50 years hating each other and it's as clear as day that hate is still there - we just don't shoot each other anymore. We whinge on Reddit instead.
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u/nt2btrstd 1d ago
I remember hearing a saying about the Howard Stern show back in the 90s, that the average Sterns lover listened to his show for an hour whilst the average Sterns hater would listen for 3 hours.
People tune in to Nolan to feed their hatred.
You wonder why people are more obsessive than other parts of the U.K. are with their radio shows? Well no other part of the Uk had a war between its citizens happen within the last 60 years, the fact that there’s only one main talkshow in town, means it’s used to vent about/score points against the other side, so people obsessively do so, since killing each other is now frowned upon
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u/Clean-Focus-9231 1d ago
I think if Nolan wasn't on the radio we would be living in harmony by now
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u/MrWhippyBigDippy 1d ago
He stirs up both side and even though he would utterly dispute this. Nolan is responsible for stoking a lot of tension in this place and responsible for listeners going out and wrecking the place from what they’ve heard on his show .
He had trigger spot in his audience for years with people being deliberately placed in seats and knowing he could go to them for a very extreme view and it would rile up the panel and the rest of the audience.
That is a fact
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u/lrish_Chick 16h ago
Exactly why don't you uppity micks just stop listening to him!
Honestly, the oirish am I right? Anyway I hopped onto their sub and sorted the whole thing out
/s
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u/DaikonSufficient5056 1d ago
Seriously though, most people here under the age of 50 don't listen to Nolan. I guess the cross section of people that post on this sub and Nolan listeners are disproportionately large
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u/saxondale7 1d ago
I have never been a Nolan listener or viewer myself, but he's the 100 pound gorilla in the room, as far as daily coverage of local politics goes. If you don't want to listen to a national broadcaster in work or wherever, it's him, or cheery chat and pop on commercial radio. He is probably the biggest local name in current affairs broadcasting, and he does his tarting about on our shilling. As such, I fully understand why people would take the bait.
That said, used to hear the cunt in taxis all the time, and don't so much anymore.
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u/Front-Plan-7219 1d ago
The BBC NI and Nolan described his show as ‘ think light entertainment’ it certainly ‘isn’t news & current affairs ‘ this allows Nolan to be biased & select what ever he wants .
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u/saxondale7 1d ago
Light entertainment? Chinny reckon. Although I have no doubt what you say is true.
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u/Amusable_bouche26 1d ago
I love the fact you get recommended this by reddit 🤣 curious how you find the thread....intriguing? As an English person who has lived here for a decade (and loves it) wonder what people think 🤣
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u/FerrariF90 1d ago
Steve Nolan has always stirred the pot and picked whatever story can get the most ratings. This subreddit only recently discovered where he grew up so they have a vendetta against him because he must be a super loyalist under it all if he was from the Shankill.
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u/Ciannachta 1d ago edited 1d ago
Simple solution. All nationalists should stop listening to his show altogether, from now on. No more ratings, and his contract will be reconsidered. The way he conducted himself the other night was absolutely disgraceful. Allowing a so-called MLA to sit there and spout outright lies on his programme is completely unacceptable. By letting that man spread unverified rumours without offering a single bit of pushback, he has put the community on the Garvaghy Road in serious danger. The BBC should be thoroughly ashamed. He has been getting away with this divisive, sectarian nonsense for far too long.
As it’s already been said, his pro-unionist bias comes as less than a shock to anyone, so the fact that he doesn’t want to talk about the disgraced jailed pedo former leader of the DUP doesn’t seem to fit his agenda neither.
After all, many people attribute the reason why Jamie Bryson’s name is even ‘known’, to the air time that he has afforded to him.
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u/Shenloanne 1d ago
My da used to just listen to get the blood up lol. Despite being told otherwise.
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u/Ciannachta 1d ago
“Hi Da, turn that auld shite off… you know it’s only winding you up and ‘angrying’ up the blood. Did you take your warfarin this morning?” 😆
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u/DoughnutCareless583 1d ago
The easier to implement solution is that all non-loyalist politicians should refuse to go on his program. No SF, SDLP, Alliance, Greens, PBP... even Aontu. Nobody.
Once Nolan only has a loyalist echo-chamber, the BBC would cancel it.
End of the day, he only survives because Nationalists and "Neutrals" engage with him.
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u/SeaGiraffe915 1d ago
Wouldn’t listen to Nolan if u were paying me
Hope Jeffrey has plenty of bibles with him to see him thru his stretch in the cage
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u/UsedTower2010 1d ago
I'm not defending Nolan as I think he's a shit-stirrer who contributes to alot of problems in this country, but the nature of his call in show and the calibre of most of his callers. Maybe the beeb are being careful about what is said as a duty of care to the victims not the perpetrator.
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u/whiskeyphile 1d ago
It's got a delay (10 seconds or the something. I'm not too sure), so it's "live", but not quite, meaning anything like that could easily be caught before it's aired.
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u/UsedTower2010 1d ago
OK I remember listening a couple of years ago and a caller used the n word, so simply assumed not addressing it on a call in show could have been a decision to avoid any comments that could be harmful to the victims or their case.
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u/v1di0t 1d ago
This isn't true. The BBC doesn't have profanity delays on any of it's programmes.
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u/whiskeyphile 1d ago
BBC live call-in shows like The Stephen Nolan Show (BBC Radio Ulster / BBC Radio 5 Live) do use a profanity delay (often referred to in broadcasting as a "dump button" or broadcast delay).
How It Works
Audio Buffer Delay: When the show goes live, the studio equipment introduces a buffer of around 7 to 15 seconds between what is happening inside the studio and what listeners actually hear over the airwaves or via digital streams.
The "Dump" Button: If a caller suddenly uses profanity, slurs, or defamatory language, the presenter or producer presses a button to "dump" or wipe out the last few seconds of audio before it reaches the transmission feed.
Buffer Rebuild: Once the offensive audio is discarded, the digital delay system slowly rebuilds the time buffer in the background so it is ready if another incident occurs.
Why It Is Used
Compliance: The BBC is subject to Ofcom broadcasting guidelines regarding offensive language and defamation laws.
Live Talkback Environment: High-volatility, debate-focused shows like Stephen Nolan’s frequently take calls from members of the public reacting in real time to controversial topics. While producers screen phone lines before putting callers through, a brief delay is the primary technical safeguard against unexpected outbursts or swearing live on air.
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u/v1di0t 1d ago
I know how it works, I'm saying the BBC don't do this as it quite clear from the apologies you will hear presenters make for things the callers say. What's your source for this?
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u/whiskeyphile 1d ago
OFCOM compliance. The reason it might happen on some occasions is at live sporting events or similar where live is live, but with a controversial phone in show they will absolutely have the profanity delay.
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u/v1di0t 1d ago
I was talking about the times on these phone-in shows when the presenter has to apologise. OFCOM doesn't require the use of delays, it's up to the broadcaster.
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u/UsedTower2010 1d ago
Yeah I don't get this person complete faith in a 10 second delay, that would still require human to operate and the possibility of something accidentally slipping through still exists. If a victim was identified on national radio the bbc would be fu#ked, look at the woman who got 3 months jail for doing it.
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u/v1di0t 1d ago
Exactly! Everything a BBC reporter said while the case was ongoing would have been approved by a lawyer. No way are they letting the Nolan show listeners have their say about it.
It's also the fact that it's not just the risk of some caller outright saying something obviously identifying. The anonymity extends to "jigsaw" information where small bits of detail can be put together so how on earth would you comply this on a live phone in?
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u/Striking_Library_538 1d ago
To be fair to the big gype, all it would take is one melt to ring in to talk about it and then end up identifying the victims. Then it's contempt of court.
The case isn't live at the minute- although it is pending an appeal- but that anonymity order is permanent.
A phone-in isn't the right format for these types of stories.
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u/No_Low5818 1d ago
I was trying to think if there was maybe an editorial decision they may have made around victim impact of continued media discussion, but it’s hard to see that being the case. The BBC have no issues discussing the many in house cases of a broadly similar nature eg / Brand, Huw Edwards, Westwood etc.
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u/International-Aioli2 1d ago
too close to home for him. Hasn't he been done recently for sending dickpics or something ?
There's layers to Steeky
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u/Comfortable-Salad-90 1d ago
“He has grilled absolutly NOBODY in the DUP about who knew what in terms of his hidden life in London, drinking, gay saunas.”
Donaldson?
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u/Numerous-Net-4983 1d ago
Why do you find it weird? Nolan is a loyalist agitator fully supported and paid for by the BBC
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u/strontium_pup 1d ago
i never hear his show is loyalist or unionist?
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u/Numerous-Net-4983 1d ago
Take them spuds out of your ears whilst listening lad
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u/strontium_pup 1d ago
I'm after saying I never listened to it. I'm only aware of Nolan from Social Media
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u/Celturk101 1d ago
Nolan hates talking about one from his own team getting caught, as much as Jeffrey hates the age of consent.
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u/aboycalledbrew 1d ago
They wouldn't be able to have a phone in for the entire show because of the risk of members of the public defaming people or naming the victims so from that perspective it makes sense but they should just say that
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u/Exciting-Market7836 1d ago
Yes, as much as I detest the premise of the Nolan show and its toxicity, I remember a caller phoning in after the guilty verdict and alluding to the identity of the victims live on air like a prick.
I genuinely dont think you can trust some people.
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u/Sweet_Ad_6572 1d ago
And callers to the Nolan show are not exactly of the highest IQ by the sound of it
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u/Theydontlikeitupthem 1d ago
It's broadcast with a 15 second delay, they can easily sensor something that shouldn't be said
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u/aboycalledbrew 1d ago
That's all well and good but stuff always gets through there's not a week goes by that Nolan or Talkback don't have to apologise for something said on air by a caller
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u/Theydontlikeitupthem 1d ago
That's by design, get controversial sound bites and people tune in for them, all they have to do is say a meaningless "sorry"
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u/gacked_on_anger 1d ago
He actually talked about this morning first thing, not for very long though.
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u/anycraicwiyou 1d ago
'I can help but think he has a hidden life himself.'. is he not rumoured to have one of the super-injunctions in NI?
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u/Numerous-Net-4983 1d ago
Why do you find it weird? Nolan is a loyalist agitator fully supported and paid for by the BBC
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u/Zealousideal_Tap_405 1d ago edited 1d ago
There is no evidence that anyone in the DUP or UUP for that matter knew of the abuse. But there was a lot of self interest at stake. Jeffrey or Sir Jeffrey as he became was seen as a safe pair of hands. An electoral asset. Everyone on the DUP receiving a salary and expenses from politics relied on him in a way. Even before he was party leader.
Heavy drinking and visiting gay Sauna's isn't illegal. It would have been death to his political career though if it got out. At least with regards to the latter. The DUP are a lot more liberal on alcohol than they used to be.
Still Sammy Wilson shared a flat with him. He must have known or suspected something about his double life.
Jim Wells talks about going on trips to Africa with Jeffrey when he spent the whole time pissed. He had been deselected by the DUP years ago and is now I think in the TUV. He had nothing to lose by coming forward.
With regards to Nolan and the DUP. He was all over the Iris Robinson scandal back in 2009. Same to a lesser extent RHI. This time it's different for some reason.
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u/AppropriatePirate671 Belfast 1d ago
Tbh what is there to talk about, hes a pedo. The other storys atleast have somewhat of a debate around them
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u/askmac 1d ago
u/AppropriatePirate671 Tbh what is there to talk about, hes a pedo. The other storys atleast have somewhat of a debate around them
You talk about the damage to the DUP
You talk about the damage to Unionism more broadly
You talk about damage to the wider Church
You talk about whether sufficient safe-guarding is in place in church groups
You talk about whether evangelical groups are a law unto themselves and whether members of these groups are hiding other secrets
You talk about Sammy Wilson who lived with him for 5 years
You talk about how having a senior paedophile in the Orange Order affects public perception of it.
You talk about sentencing for historic sex crimes
You talk about whether or not the DUP are actually telling the truth
You talk about Donaldson's other victims and potential victims
You talk about who knew at Westminster and whether they turned a blind eye
You talk about the culture of NI MPs leading double lives in London
You talk about Enoch Powell Jeffrey's mentor and Kincora rapist
You talk about James Molyneaux, another Kincora creep.
You talk about whether the UUP knew since 2 MPs and future MP were pedos.
Do I need to go on? See how easy it is to generate discussion if there's a will to do so. All under the premise of being "in the public interest of course".
That took me 7 minutes to think up and type. Do you think professional journalists and teams of writers at the BBC can't do better? Almost as if there's no will there for some bizarre reason.
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u/CurlingLlama 1d ago
Adding on, that was Talkback’s programme yesterday after the sentencing
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u/CurlingLlama 1d ago
It included, Allison wells who broke the story, an explanation of sentencing with a focus on how his decision not to plea guilty or show remorse led to a higher sentence, how the Prison Service will protect him, a speaker about victims and justice delays in NI ect , next steps for DUP
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u/AppropriatePirate671 Belfast 1d ago
Bro its steeky nolan, professional journalist is a massive stretch haha
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u/askmac 1d ago
Bro its steeky nolan, professional journalist is a massive stretch haha
For £450,000 a year, paid out of public money I'd expect some degree of professionalism but it seems most people in NI are happy to look the other way.
He is far, far from on his own as well.
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u/AppropriatePirate671 Belfast 1d ago
Hes basically ni doctor phil, just a tv clown, does anybody take him seriously?
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u/askmac 1d ago
Hes basically ni doctor phil, just a tv clown, does anybody take him seriously?
It doesn't matter if anyone takes HIM seriously. He has a massive reach in the context of NI. It's about normalisation of extreme views / parties and legitimisation through mainstream media.
It's about shifting people using their perceptions of what others believe to judge what's normal, acceptable or worth considering. Repeated exposure to a political figure can create the impression that their ideas have widespread public support, even if exposure itself doesn't establish that support.
Nigel Farage and the BBC in Britain is the perfect example of this. Here's a story about him being a clown in 2013 - https://www.standard.co.uk/news/londoners-diary/that-clown-farage-is-covering-all-bases-now-8603052.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com
...to top contender for Prime Minister in 2024 - https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/nigel-farage-tory-reform-leader-badenoch-cleverly-jenrick-tugendhat-b1184893.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Or if you prefer you can look at Trump's rise from clown candidate in the U.S to 2x term warmongering would-be fascist dictator.
It's the same process on a smaller level in NI which arguably makes it worse. That's what he's doing by having Jim Allister on 4 days a week. Or Bryson on X number of times. It's not a fucking accident. Allister is party leader of BBC NI director Adam Smyth's mother. Bryson in his protege. When a random twitter user counted he had Unionist voices on 68% of the time and 5% to Nationalists.
The BBC has been a Unionist citadel since the 1930's. I can recommend multiple books on the subject.
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u/dgb43 1d ago
The mainstream view is that all paedophiles are equivalent to lone wolf terrorists. The idea is that they hide their secret from those who knew them, so their associates can remain clean.
This view is what's being protected. It's way bigger than Donaldson himself or any of those other implications.
What you're basically asking is equivalent to some other reporter asking major BBC figures about Huw Edwards - it's just not a can of worms they want to open.
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u/askmac 1d ago
What you're basically asking is equivalent to some other reporter asking major BBC figures about Huw Edwards - it's just not a can of worms they want to open.
Only superficially. Senior figures at the BBC would be colleagues of Edwards and so could have personal reasons why they wouldn't want to pull that thread; job security, scrutiny on themselves etc. That's a member within an institution being caught and said institution and other members not wanting to open that can of worms.
The DUP is supposed to be external to the BBC. Donaldson was not a senior figure in the BBC, and people in the BBC shouldn't feel any need to cover for him. Furthermore their impartiality remit is supposed to encourage them to be politically impartial.
But in reality, BBC NI is a Unionist institution and it's so in thrall to political Unionism that they are as compromised as if Donaldson had worked there. All of their jobs would be up in the air if partition ever ended so they have a selfish personal interest to be biased and not dig too deeply anyway.
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u/Fun_Introduction_259 Newtownards 1d ago
Like Nolan doesn't find stuff to talk about when their is nothing big in the news. Heard him before talking about some minor issues of people not having their heating repaired quickly enough. If he does it with bottom of the barrel topics surely he should about the biggest Case of the decade for Northern Irish politics.
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u/Dull_Brain2688 1d ago
I seem to remember a lot of coverage of Gerry Adams’ brother and his proclivities. Including on the Nolan show.
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u/MantasMantra 1d ago
I don't really get what there is to say? Like I think discussing the Bobby Storey funeral and criticising Michelle O'Neill for the Garvaghy Road are silly but I understand what the discussion point would be. But Jeffery Donaldson is a pardophile who has been trialed and sentenced, he's been ejected from the DUP and his political career is over. There's no evidence to suggest the DUP or anyone else in the political sphere knew about his proclivity for child abuse. Every time it's brought up on the TV is just another time it's stirred up again for the victims who should really be the only priority here.
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u/SamSquanch16 1d ago
Do you think if this had been a high-profile Nationalist Nolan wouldn't be all over it like a rash? Asking how he got away with it for so long and who turned a blind eye?
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u/MantasMantra 17h ago
I really have no idea and I wouldn't like to give my time to hypothetical whataboutery.
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u/fartspaceenter 1d ago
Exactly this, BBC NI did a podcast on Jeffreys trail for anyone that wants to hear all the gory details.
Nolan stokes up some serious shut with his topics but there's nothing in Donaldson for him to get listeners engaged would be my guess
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u/fluffrug 1d ago
What's the name of the podcast? I'd really like to check it out if it's good?!
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u/fartspaceenter 1d ago
Search for Jeffrey on BBC Sounds and its there, Tara Mills & the other lads talking about each day in court as it happened back before the summer.
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u/Important-Slide-4944 Belfast 1d ago
It's called The State of Us. They also broadcast an episode of it on BBC2 last night, Talkback devoted their entire programme to the verdict, it was the headline on the BBC website, and Newsline was live from outside Maghaberry! Yet there are people on here (not yourself) saying the BBC ignored it!!
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u/fluffrug 1d ago
Thank you - I will definitely check it out! I'm English, but I live on the continent where I can't watch the BBC. So I wouldn't know if it was well covered or not - but glad to hear that the Beeb didn't ignore it.
And I am also sure that there is much more to come out linked to this - the whole thing stinks and it's inconceivable to me that his proclivities weren't widely known at the highest levels.
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u/Vast_Awareness_4507 15h ago
Also there’s the very distinct possibility that some balloon accidentally doxes the victims. I heard someone pretty much do this on Nolan after the verdict and Nolan had to get into some contortions to try and reframe it.
Trying to get his public to call in and comment without a time delay would be absolute dynamite.
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u/Michael_of_Derry 1d ago
Does Nolan uphold the key tenets of the BBC charter?
In particular sections 9 and 10.
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u/arcticvillan 1d ago
I think a lot of the time Nolan thrives on creating a bit of divisiveness, it's all a bit rage baity and shouting about something or other from one side that winds someone on the other side up. It's not proper journalism
Im not sure if donaldson is a bit too cut and dried for Nolan, no one is going to defend him so it's not good radio for what he tries to do. It's a shame as he's got a big enough reach and audience to be better but has no interest in doing so
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u/EarCareful4430 1d ago
Google would give you an answer much more accurate than the masturbatory fantasies of the population of this sub.
There’s an appeal. Therefore the case is “live” in the courts. So the bbc will stick to factual reporting, which has to go through governance.
Phone ins and whatnots are usually avoided as there’s a chance the caller or show ends up in contempt of court issues.
But I suspect op didn’t want a real answer. Just a load borderline bigoted nonsense.
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u/Rare-Primary-6553 1d ago
Because he’s probably been on the same saunas.
Touchy subject for our Stephen.
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u/MaudGoneGone 1d ago
It is a live show so there is a very real possibility one of the nutters who call in could name one of the victims.
Has he covered it at all?
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u/Some-Negotiation-454 1d ago
Agree. It’s strange.
Nolan’s show is a mixed bag and more entertaining or heart wrenching when there aren’t these big headlines.
I’d much rather hear about Fiona from Fivemiletown getting her landlord to fix her damp problem or Michael from Maghera finally getting his brain scan than those clowns in Stormont. They get too much coverage, which feeds their need to perform more. If Nolan turned the volume down on “he said she said” maybe they’d do their jobs and get the budget sorted so the rest of us can get on with our lives.
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u/neatsie_82 14h ago
I've never watched him in my life but the snippets I see he seems biased and incredibly unprofessional.
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u/Big-Style97 11h ago
His whole thing is choose a topic that will divide opinion. I don’t think opinion is divided on the fact that the man is a disgusting peado, is rightly locked up and his name shouldn’t waste anyone’s breath.
If he was choosing a topic that the public all agree with, I’d be hauling every politician on ask asking them when we’re going to get a budget.
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u/Western_Pea_3967 10h ago
I can’t watch or listen to the man he’s the biggest gobs*it. Can’t watch Barra either since the whole thing came out - 🤮
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u/Illustrious-Bad4857 10h ago
Surely you have better things to do than listen to Nolan talk his standard baws during the day. Maybe something like work?
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u/123finebyme 1d ago
Most likely because as much as this bottom feeder loves a sensational story, the line stops at (proven) kiddy fiddling
Much in the same way as comedians don't haha the holocaust
....I presume
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u/cjamcmahon1 1d ago
I'd imagine because any conversation runs the risk of exposing the victims, and didn't the Dolly Parton impersonator just get three months for that?
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u/afterbarney 1d ago
He doesn't want anything brought up about his private life, maybe, because he may have a liking for saunas too 🤔
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u/Highlyironicacid31 1d ago
What is it with people in this country finding being gay the most shameful thing about all this? I mean really. Jeffrey committed sexual offences against two children. Try focusing on that.
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u/SquidVischious 1d ago
He shouldn't have been talking about it prior to the conclusion of the case, as there's a risk it could've given the nonce grounds to appeal. Following sentencing, there's not a whole lot to "debate" (since that is his schtick), what do you want/expect exactly?
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u/TufnelAndI 1d ago
Consistency.
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u/SquidVischious 1d ago
Elaborate
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u/TufnelAndI 1d ago
As a licence-fee funded broadcaster, he should be covering this major story, even if it goes against his own political prejudices.
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u/SquidVischious 1d ago
You would want him to potentially jeopardise a child sexual abuse trial by holding a public debate on the matter because he works for a license-fee funded broadcaster, and in your mind that would equate to consistency, because the trial of Jeffrey Donaldson on child sexual abuse charges is an equivalent situation to the stand-off at Drumcree?
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u/TufnelAndI 20h ago
Trial is finished, so that's bullshit. And while Drumcree got plenty of coverage, it has been mostly resolved, and is no longer a bigger story than a prominent political leader and knight of the realm being sentenced to 15 years in prison for child rape.
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u/SquidVischious 9h ago
True but is there a clear divide in public opinion at present? Is there currently debate surrounding the length of his sentence, or the legitimacy of the charges in the first place for example? What is left to discuss?
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u/sanderflow 1d ago
I'm not being funny but what's there to talk about? Do you expect a lively debate? Everyone is going to say "yep thats horrible". No ones phoning in to defend Jeffrey. He's not some investigative journalist, he picks controversial topics that people have strong, opposing opinions on. It's not rocket science
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u/TufnelAndI 1d ago
You're not being funny, but you are being really stupid. There's plenty to discuss, and you well know if it was a different type of public figure he'd be discussing it for weeks.
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u/AbeltonSkive 1d ago
I want to know why someone like Jim Wells can say 'Jeffey turned into a completely different person at the bar at Aldergrove drinking every Friday afternoon' before his flight to London, yet everyone else in the DUP apparently had no clue whatsoever about any drinking, any cheating, any gay saunas.
They're all lying and at the very least they deserve to be questioned.
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u/No_Low5818 1d ago
Junior Paisley dished some dirt during the doc that was shown a few months ago after he was convicted. There were plenty of examples shared of shit he got up to at Westminster - eg staggering around the House of Commons drinking wine from the bottle and throwing up over Chinese government official on a trade mission to China. There were loads more examples
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u/Global-Ordinary-7704 1d ago
What is there to talk about? He was found guilty, he’s in prison story is over move on and let the victims move on with their lives.
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u/askyerma 1d ago
He literally started the show talking about Donaldson?
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u/No_Low5818 1d ago
Four minutes having a BBC reporter repeat to him the same info that has already been published in the news is a box ticking exercise.
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u/askyerma 1d ago edited 1d ago
What more is there to say? A peado is going to jail. Do you want to discuss the ins and outs of it in detail over the airwaves? How would that help victims. It's been delt with as it should have been by the DUP. Were you hoping for a similar scandal to SF providing references for a peado that was currently under investigation to balance the books?
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u/No_Low5818 1d ago
Who brought SF into it? How about some balanced reporting and an appropriate level of scrutiny along with the application of a consistent editorial policy. That’s not too much to ask for.
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u/askyerma 1d ago
Who brought SF into it? Did you actually read the OP? Peado outted, expelled from politics and convicted, end of story. That's not good enough for people who want a big show made of it beacuse of whataboutry. It's not a story because it was delt with properly. If SF delt with law breakers within the party in the same way then there would be no story to air there either.
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u/No_Low5818 1d ago
Seriously. You were replying directly to my comment. Take a wee break from being so angry.
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u/askyerma 1d ago
Hard not to be angry when people from the terrorist organisation that murdered one of your family members is in your government and acting with impunity.
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u/ValuableRepublic7608 1d ago
What planet are you on? It was featured yet again on Nolan this morning . You’re actually being deliberately misleading
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u/ISB-Dev 1d ago
Donaldson is appealing so it's still a live case.
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u/DaikonSufficient5056 1d ago
Appealing a guilty verdict though. He's been found guilty in the eyes of the law.. nothing stopping him talking about it
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u/AbeltonSkive 1d ago
Well actually that's just bullshit isn't it. It's innocent until proven guilty - not innocent until you've exhausted every legal challenge after the conviction of guilt.
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u/mrfranko85 1d ago
Other than the short prison tome what would they talk about that wouldn't just be awful to listen to and why would anyone want to listen to it?
Let Jeffrey rot and his victims live in peace.
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u/CombinationSignal579 1d ago
Nolan is a twat but the usual bigotry shown on this sub rears its head again. I say that as someone whose a trade unionist.
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u/OurJimmy 1d ago
Was he not boycotted by the DUP for being anti unionist, and at a time boycotted by Sein Fein for being anti Nationalist? He’s regularly accused of being pro either side too.
He’s pro Nolan! Thats about it. Look at the show as entertainment rather than anything else.
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u/AbeltonSkive 1d ago
SF have boycotted him for years now. The DUP politicians are never off his show.
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u/OurJimmy 1d ago
I’m going back now, like when Nick Cotton was running the DUP 🤣. I’m sure there was a boycott around that time for being anti unionist
Possibly around the RHI scandal, Jesus that was 2019 😬.
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u/Formal_Broccoli1877 1d ago
That's when I started tuning in and i think you are on the money. RHI had the DUP boycotting them and Bobby Storey's funeral had the same affect but with Sinn Fein
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u/Speedbird_ 1d ago
Will get downvoted for this, but it sums up this sub (and probably country - but even that’s a touchy subject). Everyone with their nationalist/unionist blinkers on.
I don’t listen to Nolan, but I’ve had the displeasure of hearing him harp on plenty of times. To suggest he’s avoiding one of the biggest political scandals of the decade because he’s a “prod” is laughable and says more about yourselves than him.
Journalists would sell their own granny for a story. My take is there’s more to it, and getting at Donaldson would bring unwanted attention back on himself.
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u/Budget_Dust9980 1d ago
Why are you watching/ listening to Nolan is the usual answer I give when someone complains about him. He's a lost cause. Turn him off.