Ardal O’Hanlon, known for his role in Death in Paradise, appeared on Sunday Brunch and surprised hosts Tim Lovejoy and Simon Rimmer with his unusual hobby of collecting beard trimmings. The episode, aired on February 1st, featured the Irish comedian alongside guests Louise Thompson, Seann Walsh, and Fury from Gladiators.
O’Hanlon first gained fame as Father Dougal McGuire in the sitcom Father Ted and later portrayed DI Jack Mooney in the BBC’s tropical crime series from 2017 to 2020. During the chat, he revealed his peculiar collection, leaving the hosts and fellow guests astonished.
The Surprising Revelation
Tim Lovejoy expressed skepticism, stating, “I’m not sure I believe it,” before O’Hanlon clarified, “My own beard trimmings!” When asked if he collected from barbers, O’Hanlon confirmed, “I genuinely do, I collect my beard trimmings.”
Visibly perplexed, Lovejoy pressed for more details, saying, “We need a bit more.” O’Hanlon explained, “I don’t know if other people do this. I possibly have the biggest collection of beard trimmings in the world.” The hosts responded with a unified “Why?!”
Origins of the Hobby
O’Hanlon shared the backstory: “Well, it started… I was doing a play a number of years ago and I had this huge bushy beard. I’m not that manly, it took me a long time to grow it, and I felt it would be an awful waste when I finished the play to just discard the filings. So I kept it in a little vial and I labelled it; this reminded me of my character in the play. And since then, when I have a decent beard… it seems like such a waste!”
The guests burst into laughter at the odd confession. Comedian Seann Walsh quipped, “You should use it to stuff pillows!” O’Hanlon replied enthusiastically, “There’s so many applications! I see in the years to come, when I’m no longer around, my children…” He trailed off as the panel erupted in hysterics.
Hosts’ Reactions
Lovejoy imagined O’Hanlon’s children stumbling upon the collection and calling him a “psychopath,” before steering the conversation forward. Simon Rimmer, catching his breath, remarked, “That’s amazing,” and returned to preparing his lentil salad.
Sunday Brunch broadcasts from 10am on Channel 4.
