6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Joe Duffy gets into full character for his first post-Liveline gig – and it's a supermarket ad
And there were some murmurs about moving to other stations.
But broadcaster Joe Duffy has revealed his first post-RTÉ gig: the face of Lidl's latest ad campaign.
In a humorous new ad Duffy plays the part of a jaded and hard-bitten detective uncovering suspiciously low prices.
In a series titled 'Value Beyond Belief', Duffy is seen entering one of the low-cost supermarkets wearing a trilby hat, as jazz noir music plays in the background.
'I promised myself I was out,' he says. 'No more talk, no more questions, just an average Joe. But questions, they don't take no for an answer.'
He continues: 'I received an anonymous tip from a woman called Margaret Mary O'Brien from Ballinasloe. She claimed the Lidl Plus app now has points and the value is so unbelievable that it must be a conspiracy.'
As Duffy tries to make sense of the low price of blueberries, his calculator suddenly explodes.
'They don't want us to know Margaret,' he says, shaking his head at a surveillance camera as he leaves the store.
It is the first in a three-part online series to mark the launch of the Lidl Plus app which offers shoppers extra in-store discounts.
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It is not the first time Duffy has tried his hand at acting. In 2018, he made his panto debut as the Magic Mirror in Snow White and the Adventures of Sammy Sausages & Buffy at the Tivoli Theatre. He appeared in the show as a hologram.
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He also went 'undercover' on his radio show several times to catch out con artists, scammers and swindlers.
In 2023, he went under the alias of 'Peter' and caught a man pretending to be a senior executive at AIB.
When the individual claimed he was not a con artist, Duffy replied; 'I didn't come up the Liffey in a donut. This is a scam. You're rumbled.'
On June 27th, Duffy retired after 27 years at the helm of the popular and landmark radio show. On his final show, he described his career as a 'privilege' and thanked his listeners.
There was speculation as to whether he would consider running for presidency and reports that Labour had 'put feelers out'.
But last Saturday he ruled himself out of seeking a nomination, posting on social media: 'To be absolutely clear, I am NOT seeking a nomination from any politicians, local or national, for the office of President of Ireland. I will not be adding anything further.'
He is not the first RTÉ star to be linked to a potential presidential bid, in 2018 Miriam O'Callaghan had to rule herself out after there had been much speculation if she would consider the role.
This weekend, a Sunday Independent/Ireland Thinks poll revealed that former EU commissioner Mairead McGuinness is leading the race as the favourite to be Ireland's next president.
Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and former education minister Mary Hanafin are tied on 17pc among potential Fianna Fail candidates - if the party decides to run a candidate..
In a statement, Lidl said it hopes shoppers will enjoy the series.
'As one of the country's most prolific broadcasters, we're delighted to partner with Joe Duffy on the new 'Value Beyond Belief' film noir-inspired social series to support the launch of our new Lidl Points customer rewards scheme,' a spokesperson said.
