RTÉ has defended a Liveline interview with the daughter of Boyzone star Mikey Graham after the singer alleged the show’s presenter Kieran Cuddihy tried to “insult my daughter on live radio about her father”.
RTÉ insisted that Sienna Graham had been “received with respect and empathy during her interview”.
Sienna Graham appeared on Wednesday’s episode of Liveline on RTÉ Radio 1, during which she discussed the criticism of Boyzone’s farewell concerts in London’s Emirates Stadium last weekend.
(L-R) Keith Duffy, Ronan Keating, and Shane Lynch of Boyzone perform during Two for the Road: Live at Emirates Stadium on 5 June, 2026 in London
The farewell saw Mikey Graham join bandmates Keith Duffy, Ronan Keating, and Shane Lynch for a number of songs, but not the full show.
Concerns were also expressed online after the concerts about Mikey Graham’s health.
When asked on Wednesday by Liveline host Kieran Cuddihy about the “negative reviews” of the concerts, Sienna Graham replied: “We don’t give much time to sort of those kind of things, you know?”
“As his daughter, you know, I’m just so proud of everything that he’s achieved to kind of get up on that stage,” she told the host.
“All I can say is I’m just really proud,” she continued.
Listen: Sienna Graham talks to RTÉ Radio 1’s Liveline on Wednesday, 10 June
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When it was put to Sienna Graham that, away from the newspaper reviews of the shows, “some of the comments online have been really nasty”, she described her father as “so experienced with all this”.
“I mean, they’ve been in Boyzone, the guys have been doing this stuff for 30 years,” she said. “So, I don’t think they’re any strangers to the media and stuff, so thankfully they’re all quite secure in themselves.”
Mikey Graham subsequently posted videos from last weekend’s London shows on X, writing: “I was told there was apparently some backlash mentioned on Irish radio. I can’t see any there, can you? Or is that just the usual media lust for bloodsport to gain listenership even if it’s not true. Shame on RTE NATIONAL IRISH RADIO. Try to kick a guy when he’s down!”
Describing himself as a “private man”, he then alleged that an attempt had been made “to insult my daughter on live radio about her father”, and he included a clip from the Liveline interview with his posts.
“I’d like to see Kieran Cuddihy do what I did and see how he’d get on up there in front of a stadium,” Mikey Graham added.
“How dare you speak to my daughter that way!” he concluded.
In the wake of Mikey Graham’s comments, RTÉ issued a statement that said: “Mikey Graham’s daughter Sienna appeared on Wednesday’s Liveline and was received with respect and empathy during her interview.
“Sienna was asked about how it felt watching the band on stage again and then about the negative publicity Boyzone had received after their reunion in London.”
“Edward Grimes of Jedward appeared on the programme on Monday of the same week, defending the band against the negative reviews,” the statement continued.
“The tweets in question suggest Mikey Graham has not listened to the interview in full, as host Kieran Cuddihy supported Boyzone flying the flag on the international stage.”
Last month, Sky confirmed a new Boyzone documentary, One for the Road, following the success of the three-part Boyzone: No Matter What last year.
The one-off documentary, which will screen later this year, will “take fans behind the scenes” as the group “reunite for the very last time” for the two shows at the Emirates Stadium in London on 5 and 6 June.