It’s the Christmas episode of Paddy Holohan’s No Shame Podcast & we’re joined by the main man himself, the OG of the holiday season, Santa Claus.

On this week’s show, jolly old Saint Nick talks to Paddy about the story of Christmas, the true meaning of the holiday season & why it’s a time for hope. Although he can make it look easy at times, it hasn’t always been plain sailing for Santa as he discusses some of the more difficult challenges that come with the job such as Sleigh insurance premiums, being chased by dogs & the logistical nightmare of having to start his Christmas Eve rounds from the South Pole side of the world.

One of the big issues in Ireland around this time of year is the homeless crisis with the number of homeless families increasing by over 380% since October 2014. 1 in every 3 people in emergency accommodation is a child but Santa urges those kids not to give up hope as he has enlisted the help of various Irish homeless charities around the country to ensure that nobody is forgotten about.

The homeless crisis is a topic that Father Christmas is extremely passionate about & lists it as one of the primary reasons for naming Leo Varadkar top of the 2019 Naughty list. Santa also reveals some of the strangest Christmas wish list requests he’s recieved over the years along with the requirements needed to become an ‘Elf on The Shelf’ (Paddy was just asking for a mate). During the podcast Santa also pays a heartfelt tribute to all the parents that go above and beyond every year to assist him in his role, insisting that he wouldn’t be able to do it without their support.

It wouldn’t be the most wonderful time of the year without a good film & Santa tells us about some of his favourite Christmas movies, with an honourable mention for Will Ferrell’s portrayal of Buddy the Elf in the 2003 hit ‘Elf’. Father Christmas also weighs in on the ‘Is Die Hard a Christmas Movie?’ debate before officially declaring his opinion on the matter… maybe now we can all move on with our lives?

Saint Nick completes his residency at Luggwoods Enchanted Forrest early today before setting off to the North Pole for final preparations ahead of the biggest night of year. The man in red gives some solid Christmas Eve advice to everyone listening at home with the recommendation of going to bed a bit earlier than usual. Although port is his drink of choice, Claus is flying a sleigh tonight, so Milk & cookies will do just fine.

This week’s episode really is a Christmas Cracker & We’d like to thank Mr.Cringle for taking time out of his insanely busy schedule to stop by SBG D24. We hope you enjoy watching the show as much as we did filming it & we’d like to wish everyone a happy Christmas. Most importantly stay safe, remember to give your friends a big hug & tell your family you love them if they haven’t heard it in a while.

The full episode #107 of Paddy Holohan’s No Shame Podcast is available now across all the usual platforms including, Youtube, iTunes & Spotify. Thank you for all of your support this year.