Keith Walsh has opened up about experiencing 'labour' pains on his TV show Tested on Humans, saying the experience was "worse" than he expected.
In the show, the 2FM Breakfast Republic presenter and his co-star Claire Tracey are subjected to simulated labour pains by a doctor in a bid to determine if men or women can handle pain better.
Speaking to TEN, Walsh said: "It was worse probably than I would have imagined."
On the belief that women have higher pain thresholds than men, he said: "It was funny because the doctor was saying that's a bit of an urban myth - that men generally have a higher pain threshold - but when the pain was inflicted on me I was shouting, I was effing and blinding, I was in a lot of pain.
"But when Claire did it, on the first one she shouted a little bit, but once she knew what was coming she just lay there breathing through the pain. But I don't think Claire is like any other woman though, I think she probably comes from another planet or something."
The 2fm host, who is married with two children, said that his wife hoped he would be able to understand what labour is really like, but he feels that he still has no idea.
"Even though I've been through that, I still can't really feel like I sympathise with that [childbirth] because you don't have all that comes with it.
"So while I can say that I am more understanding, I probably don't really. It was as close as I'll ever get but I think to actually push a small human out of your body is pretty extraordinary and something I won't have to experience."
Asked if making Tested on Humans has changed him, Walsh said: "It did, everybody operates within a comfort zone whether they are adventurous or not, they have things they like to do and things they don't like to do. I had to do stuff that I wouldn't choose to do and probably wouldn't do again, stuff I didn't enjoy.
"I think it has changed me in that I'm a lot more open, I wouldn't be as fearful of things such as heights or water. I've experienced more, I'm not going around scared all the time."
Tested on Humans, Monday 14 December, 9pm RTÉ2
