RTÉ's John Creedon on his Have-A-Go-Heroism

In the new issue of Hot Press, onsale tomorrow, veteran RTÉ broadcaster John Creedon opens up about witnessing an attack in Cork several years ago and opting to get involved. He also admits it's not the only time he's stood up for others in public places, saying:

"I just can’t stop myself in these kinds of situations and I think it might be because as a kid, there was no-one there to speak up for me. It’s not just me, I think there’s a lot of it in Ireland and there’s a lot of it in our generation."

Having seen two men intimidating an elderly couple locked in their car by banging on the windscreen, Creedon decided he had to step in when they attacked another young man.

"About ten yards further up the road, there was a young guy, holding a bike by the handlebars talking to a girl – they were both third level students. As these same lads went by, one of them punched the guy and, as he fell, they kicked him in the leg. So I dropped my bag and ran at them. I’m a big guy but fisticuffs are not my chosen subject, so I didn’t know what I was going to do. But I literally rhino-charged him from behind, he fell on his knees and I shouted at him, ‘Stay there!’."

Quickly, things escalated, as the assailants called out for back up.

Creedon continues: "He started screaming out names – ‘Tony, Jimmy’ etc., and the next thing I knew there were about ten fellas coming down the road at me. Before I knew it, I was completely surrounded. For some reason, I took a real bad attitude to them and I shouted, ‘Right, I’ll take you all together or one at a time, I don’t give a fuck.’ Then in those couple of seconds I felt someone grabbing me from behind, dragging me into a shop and banging the shutters down. The people in the shop – it was a carpet shop – had seen what happened and rescued me. For a day or two the adrenaline was pumping and then I hit a bit of a low."

This year, however, is a time of highs for Creedon, as he celebrates 25 years with the national broadcaster.

"One of the RTÉ brass said to me once, 'You're like a Paul Madeley around here'. Madeley played for Leeds United in almost every position and spent his entire career with the club. I thought, 'Okay, I'll settle for that'.

Now heard on RTÉ One each weekday evening from 8.30pm, Creedon opens up to Hot Press about everything from his upbringing in Cork to his relationship with Gerry Ryan in an in-depth, career-spanning interview.

For the full piece, pick up a copy of the new issue of Hot Press (Script cover) from tomorrow, Thursday September 6.