Dancing with the Stars judge Arthur Gourounlian has told Tommy Tiernan that he is on a mission to get the chat show host to take to the floor as a contestant on the RTÉ One Sunday favourite.
At the end of a moving interview on Saturday night's episode of The Tommy Tiernan Show, things took a lighter turn when Tiernan pivoted to Gourounlian's love of Dancing with the Stars.
"It's a show that in Ireland is... a lot of people watch it, but it gets a lot of kind of criticism as well," said Tiernan. "So it's surprising for me to hear someone say, 'Oh my God, Dancing with the Stars - I've made it!'"
"Tommy, you're talking to a dancer!" said Gourounlian.
"It's a dream! I mean, me sitting there criticising something that I've been working for all my life - it's just insane! It's like... it's a dream I never had. This is, you are there. You're participating, enjoying someone.
"Like yourself, who can't dance and then suddenly you come in front of me and like, 'Oh my God, you're the biggest ballerina ever!' Do you know what I mean? You're changing people's life with tippy toes and things like that. So it's actually great."
"No, you're not selling it to me!" Tiernan replied.
"I am selling it - would you do it?" asked Gourounlian.
"Not at all, no!" laughed Tiernan.
"Never say never!" Gourounlian continued. "I say [to] a lot of things never say never!"
"Not even as part of a pension plan!" said Tiernan. "Never!"
"Ok, well, we'll talk about it in five years when you're like, 'Ok, I'm retiring, I might as well do it'."
"Do you know how many people come to me when I did Dancing with the Stars?" asked Gourounlian.
"Four, maybe?!" laughed Tiernan.
"Three, actually!" Gourounlian laughed.
"Do you know what? I'm going to change your mind!" the judge continued. "My mission now is to change your life!"
"Please don't!" said Tiernan.
"You're going to wear this suit by the end of the show!" said Gourounlian.
Tiernan then mused that Gourounlian is "probably dying to be on Fair City as well".
Gourounlian replied: "Yeah, actually, funny enough, I said, 'There's an Armenian family on Fair City'. I was like, 'What if I audition for Fair City? What's the worst that can happen? I can be an actor too!'"
"What's the worst that could happen? You could be on it!" Tiernan boomed.
The Tommy Tiernan Show, Saturdays, RTÉ One and RTÉ Player, 9:30pm
Dancing with the Stars, Sundays, RTÉ One and RTÉ Player, 6:30pm
