Singer/songwriter Brian Kennedy struggles to choose a song on tonight's The Hit on RTÉ One.
Co-presenter Nicky Byrne spoke on the Breakfast with Hector Show this morning about the tension ahead on tonight's show: "Tonight's [show] is even more exciting...this week we've got Ryan O'Shaughnessy versus Brian Kennedy. Brian has a little bit of a melt-down...
Explaining what happened, he added: "These artists, obviously they signed up to this TV show...but when they get on the floor, like anything and when I'm, as a host, telling them they're about to go into these pitching rooms to pick their next single out of six songs, the penny started to drop I think with a lot of them.
"You could see fear in their eyes and Brian I think went in and out of the rooms and I think he just panicked. He just came back and said: 'I don't know what to do, I can't hear anything [I can use]'."
Listen back to the interview on Breakfast with Hector on 2fm here
Speaking to RTÉ TEN, Kennedy revealed why he wanted to take part in The Hit: "They have clearly really thought about things. I was lucky enough to have seen the pilot show last year with Brian McFadden and Royseven, so I remembered instantly and thought I would love to do that show.
"So I was thrilled to be able to do it and it is all leading up to tonight's performance, I think people are going to be in for a great surprise."
He added: "I love the concept – I love that it is about bigging up our Irish songwriters that don't necessarily get the recognition.
"Song writers are – unless you are the artist as well – probably the most invisible in terms of making records and all that. So I love the fact we are bringing visibility to the people who stay at home and hone their craft, writing songs, the men and women of Ireland.
"I think when a country is having difficulties I think it is really important to remember what makes us strong and that is the arts – song writers, singers, poets, actors and dancers. So the fact that RTÉ have commissioned a series which is about finding a great new song is brilliant."
The singer shared a little about his chosen song: "Well certainly I wanted to hear a song that would fit in terms of the constellation of my own catalogue and in terms of if I am going to do a live show, where would this song fit.
"I wanted it to be something new, something developed, something further down the line that's not too different to what I have been doing before. We have ended up with a song that is absolutely 2013 which at the same time is a bit of a classic and it fits very well with the rest of my catalogue."
To find out what songs both artists picked to bring to the studio, tune into RTÉ One for The Hit at 9.35pm. If you're out and about, get all the news from the O2 Arena on RTÉ 2fm, 90 to 92fm. Listen in via the RTÉ Radio Player or via the RTÉ Radio App on your mobile device.
