Terry Wogan’s son didn’t hold back as he shared his thoughts on the statue honouring his late father, 10 years after the broadcaster’s death
14:08, 04 Jul 2026Updated 14:10, 04 Jul 2026
The statue of Terry Wogan
Terry Wogan’s son Mark Wogan has shared his honest thoughts about his late father’s statue. The broadcaster died in 2016, following a short illness aged 77. Shortly afterwards, the then-mayor of Limerick, Kieran O’Hanlon, unveiled a statue of him in Harvey’s Quay, on the banks of the river Shannon.
Speaking to Stephen Mulhern on his Spooning with Mark Wogan podcast, Mark insisted he wasn’t a fan of the brown sculpture. After noting that both his father and Stephen have statues, he shared his different views on each of them.
Pointing out that the statue was based in Limerick, he added: “Have a look at that, that’s all I’m saying. Yours, you would go, ‘Oh, that’s Stephen’.”
When asked whether it was comparable to David Beckham’s infamous statue prank, Mark replied: “I couldn’t possibly say, it’s very difficult I think, when it’s your parent, to be objective.
“It was unveiled a couple of years after his death. They were fantastically celebrating their city’s son and he’s out on the point overlooking the sea, he’s there.”
Sir Terry Wogan died in 2016 aged 77
Mark went on to explain that he did not attend the unveiling, suggesting he was unhappy about not being consulted on the design.
Recalling a conversation with the mayor, he claimed the politician “turned up unannounced” at his restaurant to inform him of the plans. Mark said he had “no choice” in the decision and was told an artist had already been selected.
When it came to the Deal or No Deal presenter sharing his thoughts on Terry’s statue, he struggled to contain his laughter as he commented: “It does resemble him, but yeah, okay.”
Mark added: “If you look closely, he appears to be holding what looks like a [sex toy]. I think it’s a microphone, but very sweetly they erected this thing.”
The host went on to praise Stephen’s statue, which was unveiled in his hometown of Stratford in 2023.
Mark Wogan insisted he wasn’t a fan of his dad’s statue
“Yours is good because you’re in a redcoat (a nod to his past career in Butlin’s),” he shared, to which his podcast guest replied: “I’m very proud of it.”
Sharing his thoughts further, Mark added: “You should be because one, it looks like you and two it’s in your home.”
Unveiling Terry’s statue at the time, the mayor said to the crowd: “Today, we honour a man who, certainly across the water, was our greatest export.
“There was a huge outpouring of grief when Terry passed away last year and it is only fitting that we remember him in his home city.
“Terry has a special place in our hearts, and I hope those memories can be re-lived by fans with the unveiling of this sculpture, right in the heart of the city of his birth.”