Comedian and writer Martin 'Beanz' Warde has said he's "delira" to be back with a second series of his hit environmental docuseries on RTÉ One, and admits he "struck gold" when it comes to his co-presenters.
Over six insightful episodes, The End of the World with Beanz sees the Galway native exploring how people are tackling some of the world’s toughest challenges, from climate change and geopolitical conflict to culture wars.
Each week, he’s joined by a celebrity co-host. The upcoming series, which airs this Tuesday at 7pm, will feature singer Samantha Mumba, presenter Darren Kennedy, Eurovision winner Niamh Kavanagh, comedians Neil Delamere and Enya Martin, and actor Norma Sheahan.
Opening up about the return of the show, Warde said he’s absolutely thrilled, and admitted it really is the dream TV slot.
"Delira is the word – if you could just put that as a heading," he laughed. "I mean, it’s amazing. For someone like me, who came from the town that I came from, and to be doing a second series on RTÉ One at a primetime of 7 o’clock on a Tuesday, mish-mashed in there with the Champions League... I mean, it’s perfect. It really is."
When asked how he keeps the show natural and enjoyable, yet informative, Warde said it’s not as tricky as you might think.
"There’s no big magic trick," he explained. "I didn’t come from a background where I had any presenting skills. What I do have - which I think the vast majority of people watching will have - is an interest in people.
"This is why we are seen as the friendliest people in the world - because we actually have a genuine interest. The first thing we say is 'Ah, where are you from?' We want to learn about you, especially where you’re from and what you do for a bit of craic. That kind of stuff. As Irish people, we’re kind of preprogrammed to seek out anything interesting about you or your situation."
Warde added that humour is key - even in heavy or difficult conversations.
"Then there’s the other side of it - we’ll try to find humour in everything. It could be the darkest of stuff, but we’ll find some way to get a bit of a laugh. We’ll masquerade our empathy - because I think with Irish people, well with me anyway, I don’t know what to do with high emotional situations, so I’ll crack a joke to ease the tension."
"I think Irish people are the same. When you’re watching something on TV and it’s a very polished presenter - which I’m not, by the way - it feels like you’re watching a programme. But when you’re watching The End of the World with Beanz, it feels like you’re going on a journey with me and the co-host."
Warde also revealed that he doesn’t do any research on the people he meets before filming - a conscious decision to keep things spontaneous.
"There are so many situations on screen where I’m failing miserably at something, or I don’t have the correct understanding going in, and then there’s this lightbulb moment. It’s very naturalistic. Before I go on any episode, I don’t do research about the people I’m meeting. I ask the producers not to tell me too much - just give me the basics like their name and what they’re doing. I want everything else to unfold through conversation."
He also stressed the importance of never underestimating Irish audiences, stating they "aren't stupid".
"That’s what keeps it natural on screen. Irish viewers aren’t stupid - they always know when something is scripted. There’s a stark contrast. You’ll see it in my stand-up comedy - which isn’t always my proudest moment, but for screen, comedy is hard. Live comedy is tricky, especially when you’re doing multiple takes for lighting or camera angles."
In episode one, Warde and his Angeleno co-host Samantha Mumba visit some of the neighbourhoods devastated by the January 2025 wildfires in Los Angeles. They meet a local Irish record producer who lost everything and explore the human cost of the disaster, as well as what's being done in the face of increasingly frequent wildfires fuelled by climate change.
"The beautiful, talented Samantha Mumba was forced to do an episode with me," Warde laughed. "She's amazing! I think the moment I truly realised I wasn't in Tuam, Co. Galway anymore was when we were in LA waiting for Samantha to arrive, and she rocks up in true LA fashion in a Rolls Royce. I’m just thinking about the 2008 Volkswagen Passat I’ve got parked at home. She’s extremely likeable and so down-to-earth. She hasn’t lost that Irish charm and bit of banter."
Opening up about his co-presenters, Warde admits he really did get the best of the best.
"We struck gold with all of my co-hosts across both series, but I think with this one in particular, there’s more screentime with the co-hosts than with myself. In series one, part one of the episode would take place abroad and part two would be back in Ireland with just me. This time, we're experiencing the full episode together in one location."
Warde said there are a lot of lessons - and a surprising amount of optimism - to take from the second series. While the topics may sound serious, he promises there's still "a lot of fun and banter" to be had.
"When we talk about the end of the world, it can sound ominous, scary, and very final. But in this series, we're meeting people from all over the world who are facing that idea head-on with optimism. They're saying, 'If it’s the end of the world, we’re going down fighting.’ And for others, it's not the end at all, it's the beginning of a new chapter," he said.
The End of the World with Beanz, Tuesday 14 October, at 7pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.
For more TV news, click here
