My 2025: Mary-Claire Fitzpatrick - Villain of 2025? AI slop

Your Hero of 2025?
My good friend Ailish McCarty, who has been an absolute trailblazer trying to get comedy recognised as an artform in Ireland with the Comedy Amendment Bill. She’s been working on it for the past number of years and it’s finally getting some eyes on it. She really deserves all the credit for getting people talking about it online, and even on Prime Time.

Villain of 2025?
AI slop. We’re at the point now where my husband, who’s the most tech-savvy man I know, was caught out once or twice by AI videos. So if he’s getting fooled by them, I can only imagine what my parents might see and believe!

Best Personal Moment?
Performing at the Paddy Power Comedy festival. I’d first tried stand-up back in 2023 for a podcast I was doing with the BBC called Big Comic Energy, where online comedy creators tried stand-up for the first time. I went back to it properly in the summer of 2024. To get to be involved after just about a year of doing stand-up properly, I was so grateful to be involved, and to get a few laughs was even better.

Best Movie or TV show?
Tim Robinson’s The Chair Company. There are still a couple episodes to go and I can’t wait to see how it ends. It’s bizarre, it’s hilarious and everything I love about absurd humour. Fingers crossed for a season 2.

Best record?
The Wicked soundtrack, and now that I’ve part 2, it’s made my Christmas.

Best book?
I love an audio book and I listened to Alan Partridge: Big Beacon earlier this year. It was just so funny, especially with it narrated by Steve Coogan. 10/10.

Best thing you saw online?
This gas video by @sarahpadilla00, of two girls who dressed up as ostriches for Halloween, is so simple and effective.

Your hope for next year?
I’m hoping to start writing a comedy show, which I’d love to put on at some stage, but at the very least to keep gigging and writing new material.

What tickled your funny bone?
@dimplestilskin, I love her videos so much - I think she’s one of the funniest women in Ireland. We’re working on something together early next year, so watch this space.

• Follow Mary-Claire Fitzpatrick @space!mcluvs2laugh

Capping off another inspiring 12 months for music, sport, film, comedy, literature and activism – both at home and around the world – we're thrilled to bring you the brand new Hot Press Annual!

Inside, the HP critics deliver their verdict on 2025, including the albums, tracks, movies, books, games, quotes, photos, events and political happenings of the year. We also sit down for insightful interviews with cover stars Kingfishr, Nell Mescal, RÓIS, Yusuf / Cat Stevens, Ewan McVicar, Booker Prize winner David Szalay and many more. Plus: special end-of-year reflections from the likes of Aisling Bea, Ardal O’Hanlon and BP Fallon...