In what could be the weirdest moment (so far) in Patrick Kielty's reign on the Late Late Show, the up-for-anything host donned revealing ballet tights and had a go at karate chopping bottles with action star Jean-Claude Van Damme.
The Belgian star of action flicks Hard Target and Double Impact was in town to plug his new whisky and once that was out of the way, Kielty "the bum from Dundrum" challenged the muscles from Brussels to, well, karate chop some bottles.
Well we weren't expecting THIS 👀 #latelate @PatricKielty @JCVD pic.twitter.com/wIRFZ6W3H2
— The Late Late Show (@RTELateLateShow) October 20, 2023
After Van Damme demolished two bottles (not of his new whiskey) with some neat chops, Kielty appeared stage right in a pair of fetching ballet tights and had a go. For a parting shot, the action star then high kicked the final bottle off Kielty’s head.
And like the rest of the country, we asked, "did we really just see that . . . ?"
Earlier in the evening, 63-year-old Van Damme recalled how he got started in Hollywood, telling Kielty, "When I was a young boy I wanted to impress everybody because I was not really gifted physically, mentally, I was ok. I left school early, thank god my father let me.
Coming to a cinema near you... probably never #latelate @PatricKielty @JCVD pic.twitter.com/y6RC2fStvw
— The Late Late Show (@RTELateLateShow) October 20, 2023
"He had a flower shop so I was able to work at night selling flowers, I was 13 and made some money. My father said one thing - `if you leave school, make sure you never miss a martial arts lesson because it’s hard to sell flowers’."
"I told people I was going to be a movie star but nobody would believe me," he said. "Before that I opened a gym when I was 18 and it made good money and the problem is when you have a good business, your father will say `are you crazy to leave and go to Hollywood?' He was very upset and scared for me."
However, Van Damme’s dad ended up going to LA with him to help start his career.
Since then, Van Damme’s movies have made a cool $3m at the global box office, turning him into a cult action hero with a very loyal fanbase and a number of statues in his honour erected in several locations across Europe.
Asked if he still enjoyed the attention, he joked, "We have great mussels in Belgian with white wine and one day I said mussels from Brussels . . . sounds good!"
Making plans 👀🤐 @JCVD, @PatricKielty #latelate pic.twitter.com/9KtqddkHS3
— The Late Late Show (@RTELateLateShow) October 20, 2023
Van Damme also studied ballet for five years and he told Kielty that it really improved his martial arts skills.
"It really helped. When you do ballet it’s a different type of training, a different type of framing," he said.
"For example, when you do ballet you have to stretch your legs, stay very relaxed but in martial arts it’s totally different but ballet will give you flexibility, dexterity and martial arts will give you speed and power, it’s a great combination."
At one point during his interview, a visibly sweating Van Damme thanked staff in Studio 4 in Montrose for turning on the air conditioning and he was also morto after he confused Belfast with Dublin. "Jesus, what a mistake!" he said, apologising to laughs from the audience.
Watch Friday’s The Late Late Show on the RTÉ Player
