They say the best is saved until last, and this was certainly the case with last night’s hilarious finale of ‘Anonymous’. Throughout the season we have seen presenter Jason Byrne giving whacky instructions to the likes of Jedward, Amanda Brunker, Grainne Seoige and Michelle Heaton - but the tables turned in the latest episode as guest presenter Kathryn Thomas decided to stir up some trouble with Jason donning the costume.
Jason took on the role of an aged, hard-of-hearing nun named Sister Sinead Murphy and looked strangely convincing but it was the high pitched voice that was a bit of a giveaway (and maybe the height issue). For his first task Jason went on a mission to spread chaos on the streets as the good sister to collect money for “iPods For Africa”, and the public’s reaction was priceless. One gent even claimed to have been so overwhelmed by the nun’s upfront approach that he feared his heart problem may act up as he felt “intimidated”. (Hmm staged much?).
When Kathryn said that she was going to “pull in the reigns” and make sure Jason wasn’t taking things too out of hand she wasn’t joking. Initially she didn’t input much as Jason seemed to have the situation under control. He went to a ‘borger’ bar and confused the poor waiter with his request for a veggie burger with a bit of chicken and turkey thrown in. In fairness to the patient waiter, he kept his cool (gold star and promotion for that). However, when the sister pinched him on the bum and refused to let him leave that was a bridge too far (also for some strange reason the prolonged emphasis on the word wrong was oddly funny).
Kathryn stepped up her game in the next challenge, and was shouting out with gusto as Jason entered ‘Solo’ on Camden Street. With instructions to light up a cigarette on arrival, sister Sinead was immediately ushered out of the shop, and asked to leave. Of course, Jason acted like he couldn’t understand, and so the agitated shop assistant continued to speak to her (well him), as if she didn’t have a word of English. At one stage it looked as if she was about to draw a diagram to explain the situation.
Kathryn ordered Jason to try on the clothes that he has just swiped. He passed the clothes to his nun friend with the frustrated shop assistant quickly on the scene to retrieve the goods. She needn’t have bothered as she soon found herself sauntering back in the shop looking rather disheartened by her inability to get the goods back.
Jason then parked himself next to an unfortunate shopper in a busy mall (looked like Jervis Street) and coughed obnoxiously and loudly in her direction. The polite woman asked if the sister needed some water as she awkwardly fiddled on her phone, but as the coughing got louder and more intense, she made a speedy exit while cracking up laughing. The laughs continued to flow in part two as Jason attempted to drive an abandoned car down Grafton St. and ask shoppers to help push the car and turn it around.
The sister then hopped into a taxi outside Clarks’ shoe shop and turned up the radio really loudly, despite the fact that he was waiting on a passenger. The driver couldn’t have been more helpful and polite, but as the sister whittered on, the taxi driver was lost for words.
And so to the final set-up. Jason wondered what would happen if they made it extremely clear to everyone on that they were running a hidden camera show. Two volunteers paraded around by Stephens Green with banners staying ‘Hidden Camera Filming In Progress’. Within minutes people were queuing up and filling out their details to participate (some people really will do anything for a chance of being on the telly. The joke backfired on the participants (fakers) who happily staged falls, started hyperventilating and crying fits, while others ran away from the nun (and one poor guy broke his phone).
All in all, a good end to the series.
Laura Delaney
