The Wonder Year

That's a wrap for series 1! We've had so much fun and the feedback has been really encouraging so we've decided to go again in just a few weeks - with more episodes coming in September. Thanks for all your support so far! We're very excited about some of the guests already booked - proper icons from the world of comedy, TV and sport - that's just to start. In the meantime - and before he heads out on tour and to the Edinburgh Fringe - Paddy answers a few of your questions from the bar in his back garden.... Paddy Raff tour dates and tickets + Fringe details here This & previous eps are available to listen to on all major platforms or here  Thanks to our sponsors Victoria Square, grab your giftcard here Set signage by Off The Wall - Music by Alpha Chrome YaYo

If you listen to this podcast, it's fair to assume you're a fan of Paddy Raff's stand up - or maybe his TV show. But did you know that his biggest claim to fame is that he's Claire Rafferty's younger brother? Yes - the actress from The Fall and Derry Girls - that's Paddy's sister! After an appearance in episode 0 when Claire was brought on to fact check some of Paddy's stories, on this occasion the roles are reversed. There's talk of an Abba Tribute band formed after some worrying fraud, accusations of burglary from Steven Gerrard and lots of praise for a legendary goalkeeper with a particularly friendly ma. Meanwhile, Paddy debuts his cover of a classic 1994 track by The Crash Test Dummies.   Claire's IMDb  This & previous eps are available to listen to on all major platforms or here Thanks to our sponsors Victoria Square, grab your giftcard here Set signage by Off The Wall Music by Alpha Chrome YaYo 

This week we're in 1997 with stand up, podcaster and TV regular, the Offaly good Neil Delamere. Neil's a regular on BBC NI's The Blame Game, 5 Live's Fighting Talk and an arena level stand up in Northern Ireland - in fact, he's back at the SSE next February. He also launched a podcast ‘Why Would You Tell Me That?' just this year. In this episode - Neil, Paddy and producer Rigsy discuss how to hide if you're Bono, which church does the best merch and what it might be like if Hugo Duncan voiced a radio station on Grand Theft Audio. But that all pails to the biggest question of them all - who's your favourite Spice Girl?   Tickets for Neil at The SSE Arena next year Neil's podcast This & previous eps are available to listen to on all major platforms or here Thanks to our sponsors Victoria Square, grab your giftcard here Set signage by Off The Wall Music by Alpha Chrome YaYo 

Mike Edgar is a genuine broadcasting legend - presenting Across the Line on BBC Radio Ulster during the late 80s and entire 1990s. Previous to that he was the drummer in Cruella De Ville - a post-punk band very much expected to be ‘the next big thing' upon signing to EMI back in 1983 - Mike's Wonder Year. Later in life, Mike would go on to become one of the biggest execs at the BBC in Northern Ireland - producing or overseeing a string of huge TV shows and one-off events. In this episode, Mike talks about moving to London, hanging up on Brian May (before an encounter with Freddie Mercury), the rock legend he thought might steal his wife and how he regrettably dismissed one of the biggest selling records of all time. Also discussed - some of the insane antics he signed off on while looking after early Paddy Kielty TV shows.   This & previous eps are available to listen to on all major platforms or here Thanks to our sponsors Victoria Square, grab your giftcard here Set signage by Off The Wall Music by Alpha Chrome YaYo

Singer-songwriter and social media star Janet Devlin didn't have to pick 2011 as her Wonder Year. We'd assumed she'd be sick talking about arriving on the scene via The X Factor - finishing fifth behind eventual winners Little Mix. Then again that really was her formative year - not just because of her antics with Cowell & co - that' when she did her last exams at school and started heading out with her mates. So - alongside talk of a crime spree in the The X Factor house and studying for exams while on a plane to Kelly Rowland's gaff in Miami, Janet also talks about a regrettable teenage crush, having to wait for the paps to clear off before picking up her GCSE results and how online perverts just don't put enough effort in.   Follow Janet on Instagram and check our her music here This & previous eps are available to listen to on all major platforms or here Thanks to our sponsors Victoria Square, grab your giftcard here Set signage by Off The Wall Music by Alpha Chrome YaYo

This week Lisburn native and CBeebies presenter Gyasi Sheppy joins Paddy to revisit his choice Wonder Year - 2007.  While there's plenty of chat about children's TV and how Gyasis began his journey towards TV stardom at the age of 16 - 2007 was the year of the Big Brother racism scandal and the smoking ban - which resulted in Paddy being regularly left alone with a bunch of jackets. We also learn how Gyasi - the only person of colour in his friendship group - struggled to find a decent fake I.D on his quest to head for a night out in Moira.   Follow Gyasi on Instagram This & previous eps are available to listen to on all major platforms or here Thanks to our sponsors Victoria Square, grab your giftcard here Set signage by Off The Wall  Music by Alpha Chrome YaYo  

This week's Wonder Year is 1993 - the choice of renowned stand up and musician Teresa Livingstone. We found out how back in '93 Teresa actually kickstarted the peace process here by writing a powerful Christmas song about death that was so good it made it on to UTV. Having sorted out Northern Ireland - she then took a crack at helping the people of Rwanda with her less successful follow up single. Furthermore, 1993 was the year Teresa witnessed Mr Blobby crowd surfing at Christmas mass and there's also talk of a major onstage wardrobe malfunction as she sang karaoke. Meanwhile, Paddy can't stop talking about Celine Dion.   Tickets to Teresa's show at The Waterfront Hall in October.  This & previous eps are available to listen to on all major platforms or here. Thanks to our sponsors Victoria Square, grab your giftcard here. Set signage by Off The Wall. Music by Alpha Chrome YaYo.  

Julian Simmons is as close as we have to a national treasure in this part of the world. For someone with a seemingly insignificant gig (doing continuity on UTV) it's testament to his warmth and personality that he's ended up an icon of the small screen!  Selecting 1982 as his Wonder Year, we meet Julian before he became a regular visitor to our living rooms - when his ambitions lay within his job with Air Canada rather than becoming a local celebrity. We also learn about encounters with inevitable homophobia - and how he became something of an unusual role model and inspiration for young gay men in what was a pretty backward corner of the planet back in the early ‘80s.  Some cracking music and fashion choices discussed as well….   This & previous eps are available to listen to on all major platforms or here Thanks to our sponsors Victoria Square, grab your giftcard here Set signage by Off The Wall Music by Alpha Chrome YaYo

Emer Maguire is one of the most exciting comedy talents in the country at the moment - her blend of stand up, music and science (yes, really) generating a great deal of hype and critical acclaim. Her selected Wonder Year was 2003 - during which (as you'll hear) Emer was both a young fashionista and lyrical gangster. She talks about the particularly obscene lyrics which concerned her mother and the song she sang to incorporate her entire estate. And of course the burning question - who was her favourite S Club 7 member? Meanwhile, Paddy reveals he thought a ‘sex machine' was something you'd likely find in a factory.   This and previous eps are available to listen to on all major platforms here. Emer's next headline show in Belfast is ‘Up to High Doh' - Novemeber 18th at The Mac. Thanks to our sponsors Victoria Square, grab your giftcard here. Set signage by Off The Wall. Music by Alpha Chrome YaYo.    

He won Six Nations Championships with Ireland, played in two World Cups and was a superstar at Ulster (all the while scoring numerous memorable tries) yet Paddy managed to not talk to ANDY TRIMBLE about rugby. Which is some going.   Instead the focus is on the heady days of 1999 when Andy was having run-ins with the peelers while trying to make it as a rockstar - playing Rage Against the Machine covers in his local church's crèche.   Meanwhile, a young Paddy Raff is busy working out how best to utilise his genius plan to be the very first person in a brand new millennium to utter a very specific phrase.   Thanks to our sponsors Victoria Square, grab your giftcard here The Wonder Year sign by Off The Wall  Music by Alpha Chrome YaYo   

For the opening episode of The Wonder Year, it's only fair the show's host reveals which year made HIM the man he is and why (so we can find out what went wrong and prevent it ever happening to anyone else).   Paddy's sister Claire Rafferty - a renowned actor in her own right (Derry Girls, The Fall) - joins as official fact checker - just in case Paddy tries to spoof about being cool back in his early teens. But we shouldn't have worried - he was an absolute dork and seems oddly happy to admit it.   Thanks to our sponsors Victoria Square, grab your giftcard here The Wonder Year sign by Off The Wall  Music by Alpha Chrome YaYo   

This time around, breakfast TV and general 'yr one off the telly' Holly Hamilton picks 2004, when she upped sticks and headed to the biggest of big smokes - erm, Dundee. Turns out Holly's first year away from home was as rock n' roll as Paddy's - i.e not very rock n' roll at all. This despite some unfortunate piercings and colourful alcopop / shot combos.   Thanks to our sponsors Victoria Square, grab your giftcard here The Wonder Year sign by Off The Wall  Music by Alpha Chrome YaYo   

Host Paddy Raff is joined by producer Rigsy to unveil what's in-store with their brand new podcast, The Wonder Year. After this introduction, look out for hour long episodes with a series of very special guests published every Monday morning!