Libel alleged in farm TV show article

RTÉ presenter Paddy O'Gorman has told the High Court he was accused of having a "perverted sexuality" in an article written about his participation in the Celebrity Farm TV programme four years ago.

In a High Court action which opened yesterday, the award-winning journalist said newspaper claims by a fellow participant in the TV show were "untrue and disgusting". He is seeking damages for alleged libel against Associated Newspapers, publishers of the Ireland on Sundaynewspaper in which the article appeared on December 14th, 2003.

The article stated it was exposing the "shocking nudity, drug-taking, cross-dressing and bullying" that had been censored from the TV screens.

The article quoted one of the programme's other participants, gossip columnist Gavin Lambe-Murphy, as stating that Mr O'Gorman had spoken of how he "loved the feeling" of women's tights brushing against the hair on his legs and how he "missed masturbation" while participating in the show.

The article stated he spoke those words while lying on the bunk bed of the men's dormitory and had "rubbed his crotch" clad only in his boxer shorts.

Mr O'Gorman claims the article is defamatory, meant he wore women's tights for sexual pleasure, that he missed masturbating, engaged in sexual deviancy and displayed perverted sexuality while on the show.

He claims he was not only held up to ridicule as a result but was subjected to an inquiry by his employers and his professional standing had been damaged.

The newspaper denies the words published bore the meaning complained of and claims the words are true in substance and in fact.

It also says it will prove he had made the comments alleged to Mr Lambe-Murphy and that it was fair comment on a matter of public interest. The defence further denies Mr O'Gorman was injured in his personal and professional reputation.

The court heard Mr O'Gorman (50) was one of eight participants in the Celebrity Farm show, described by his counsel Declan Doyle SC as a variation of the Big Brother show with an "agricultural" theme.

Mr Doyle said his client agreed to go on because the €50,000 prize for the winner would go to a charity, in his case Aware, which helps to combat suicide.

He was the second person to be voted out by members of the public and found the experience "at best unpleasant and at worst very stressful".

During his time on the farm, he recalled two conversations where he and his male housemates were in their dormitory making "inconsequential banter."

In his evidence, Mr O'Gorman said the only references he made to the wearing of women's tights and masturbating was when they started talking about whether people were right-handed or left-handed and Mr Lambe-Murphy had asked what hand did he (O'Gorman) w**k with.

He said Mr Lambe-Murphy also asked him if he missed "it" and such "laddish banter" continued with remarks that there were too many cameras around.