Episode 5 Nolan Live

A really big Nolan Live show tonight.

Are opponents of gay marriage ready to throw in the towel?

UUP leader Mike Nesbitt says they're on the wrong side of history.

Also tonight - watch as I'm cut out of THIS car wreck.

Hello there, hello. Let's get on with the show, shall we? Hello,

everybody. Thank you for joining us on BBC One.

We've music from The Shires on the show tonight as well, but let's

kick off tonight with gay marriage - the debate that just won't go away.

The Assembly will vote on it next week - that'll be

But Ulster Unionist Party leader Mike Nesbitt has fired

a dramatic warning to gay marriage opponents - including himself.

Here's what he told the UUP conference at the weekend.

Some of us support same-sex marriage, some of us don't. I'm not

going to labour the point today but to those of us who cannot bring

ourselves to support the change in the law, be aware, you are on the

wrong side of history. There's a generation and they simply do not

understand why there is a problem. We asked Mike Nesbitt to commend, he

could not find the time to do so. He thinks he's on the wrong side of

history, but he's not voting for gay marriage. So, he's going to stay on

the wrong side of history. That is what the political party is saying,

he's going to stay on the wrong side of history. He is talking out of the

side of his mouth. He needs to be on the right side of history and he

needs to be quickly. The position he has taken, if he doesn't vote yes,

he's doing a grave disservice to the LGB the community. I am calling on

them to vote yes and be on the right side of history and to show

leadership. He is the leader of a political party. He needs to lead

from the front. He has every right to vote as his conscience that

dates, as his personal values that date, without you judging him. I am

not judging anybody but no party political leader has the right to

use conscience to discriminate against an entire community. People

can have their beliefs. This is not about religious beliefs. This is

about equality for the LGB community. Why bring this back to

the assembly so many times? You're going to keep bringing this back

until you get the boat you want. Democracy is about equality. We have

equal marriage in the 26 counties, in England, Scotland and Wales, this

is the only part of these islands that does not have equality. The

point of devolution is that Northern Ireland makes up its own mind, and

it has done so, so get over it and accept it. The whole point of the

Good Friday agreement is to have our assembly, the North-South Misty blue

Council, the British-I wish situation is and equality and human

rights. -- Irish. A couple of things picking up on the Good Friday

agreement. The people of Northern Ireland didn't ink that when they

supported the Good Friday agreement that they would have army councilman

in government as they found out not so long ago. There are more

important things to talk about in Northern Ireland, than this

obsession that we have, for the fifth time as you say, and I have

had enough of it. The debate has taken place four previous times. The

vote has been given and we are heading for a fifth vote on Monday.

I want to call on Monday, if the speaker allows it, to go straight

into the vote, let's not have a debate. What is the point in

repeating everything that has been repeated and said? To see if they

have changed their minds? If they have, they can vote accordingly. I

am fed up hearing from them, the same thing, time after time. And not

accepting the verdict and will of the assembly. When I go to the

assembly, I am not a delegate but a representative of the constituency I

was sent to represent. Including gay people? Including everybody in my

constituency. But the vast majority of people who take the time to talk

to me about this issue say to me that we do not want to have same-sex

marriage. That is what the majority have said. You are not asking them

to have same-sex marriage. You're not walking up to a straight person

and saying, do you fancy a little bit of gay marriage tonight? The

other aspect of the obsession is that I am fed up with being

bullied, every time this issue arises. I have been bullied and

criticised by supporters of this in Stormont itself. I have an e-mail

coming in, by the dozen, criticising me. People look don't know anything

about me, telling me the way to vote. That is bullying, all of a

sudden? Hang on a second. How is that bullying? That is lobbying. The

bullying, that would race in Stormont, it is bullying. You were

sent an e-mail, and that is bullying? It was followed up by

e-mails, and the bullying that took place was face-to-face and vicious.

I don't accept that from anybody. People do not bully me. I am a big

fellow. I can look after myself, OK? That is fine, but this was bullying.

Of no consequence. I don't know these people, they don't know me,

but they trespassed into my work to choose that they would first down my

throat, their views. It is not on. The fact that you feel that you are

bullied when LGB people have been bullied by the likes of you telling

us that we cannot be married. They have never been bullied by me and

they will not be bullied by me. We are told that we cannot contribute

to society. You are talking about one subject which is gay marriage.

We, the transgender community are not even included in this. I think

everybody should be allowed to be married. Well that is where you want

to take us to. APPLAUSE

Why do you have to call it marriage? Why do you, why cant you

have a union with whoever you choose to have a union with? Why do you

want to redefine the definition of marriage? There's an assumption that

marriage is a religious thing, between a man and a woman, but

marriage has been about before Christianity. The ancient Egyptians

got married. People before that. It is good to see the likes of Catriona

Ruane, who is always for the LGB people and for equality for us all.

By the way, the DUP, just so you know at home, they have tabled a

petition of concern. What that means, it is a technical term.

Essentially, what it means is that, if the assembly were to vote for gay

marriage, the DUP would use that petition of concern to block it

anyway. All right? Here is what the DUP have also done tonight. They

have bottled out of coming into this studio and talking to you at home

about an issue. It is not orange and green. It is not about marching down

the road, it is not about flags, I will tell you what it is about, DUP,

it is about the biggest political party in Unionism in Northern

Ireland, about a 13, 14, 15-year-old child, whether they are gay or

straight, listening to their politicians, if they do decide that

you are their party, and finding out what they stand for, and the fact

that you have bottled out of coming into this studio tonight does not

mean that I am not going to continue to ask you and your leader and every

politician in your party the questions that actually matter. Do

you think homosexuality is normal? You think that gay people should be

able to get married? Clearly not. If you passionately believe that, then,

in front of these people and pay them the respect that they deserve,

I talking to them because you knock on their doors, when you want votes.

And that is the bottom line. APPLAUSE

Catriona Ruane, intolerance works both ways, does it not? Of course.

You have got to be tolerant of someone's view that they want to

protect their definition of marriage. Someone does not deserve

to be bullied and pilloried because they have got a religious view, and

they are sick and tired of this issue, and constantly in Northern

Ireland, when the democratic will is against gay marriage. I do believe

the democratic will is against gay marriage. The last time we lost by

two votes. Let's see now what the five SDLP who did not turn up to

vote the last time. I am hoping that they will be here. Let's see what

happens with Mike Nesbitt's party and see, maybe people in their party

will change. What we need is to ensure that all of our citizens have

equality. In relation to religious belief, every motion that we had

made sure that there was respect for churches and churches do not have to

carry out... Hang on. Hang on, let me... Let me make the point. This

motion on Monday that your name is attached to, it calls for the Dzeko

div two table legislation -- for the Dzeko div to table legislation. You

don't know what is entailed in the legislation, what it is about. It is

just a one-liner. It tables legislation for same-sex marriage.

That is what it says, that is what the motion says. What is this

legislation that you want to be brought forward? Five minutes ago,

you wanted to go straight to the boat. Now, you want to have a debate

about it. Let's have a debate. APPLAUSE

You want to know what legislation be want? Let's have a debate. We have

had an hour and a half of a debate every time and you have never

accepted the right of the assembly to vote in the manner in which it

has. You are obsessed with this and you are not going to let it go until

you break everybody's heart over it. I'm asking you a question. What is

the legislation behind this motion? People are entitled to know what

legislation is. Sinn Fein have brought this motion on five

occasions. And let's hope that we have sense in the assembly on

Monday. Hold on a minute, David. I listened to you. The legislation

will be for equal marriage for all of our citizens, and in every single

debate we have had, with respect for religious belief. Nobody is saying

that the churches have two practice marriage within their institutions,

but the state must ensure that the legislate on the basis of equality

for all of their citizens. David, David... As legislators, we made to

know what the law is going to be. The same legislation as exists in

the rest of the UK. We are in the UK, let's have the same legislation

and access to rights, right across the UK. This legal quandary well you

can be married in one part of the UK and not in another, you could ever

same-sex couple were one member of them is from Donegal and the other

in Derry, the one in Donegal is married and the other end Derry is

in a civil partnership. People do not want to do this... You want

Northern Ireland just to conform. We are not allowed to stand up for the

things that we believe in. The not believe in evolution bastion mark

how many times do you need to be told, no?

How many times do you need to be told no? It was brought forward five

times before it passed in New York. There is a single direction of

travel and it requires people going on a journey and convincing people,

it will not happen overnight but the only way to ensure it is done

respectfully is to have open debate about it. If you do not win in -- on

Monday when will you bring it back? As soon as it can be brought

forward. We have two court case is about to start, one in November and

one in December challenging the legal position of being able to be

married in one part of the UK. Other not other important things that

could be tabled in the Assembly? First of all... How about more money

for waiting lists? We had lots of debates about health, but this is a

very important issue. I want to go on a sidetrack about health. I have

had to be in the Royal Victoria Hospital recently and the fantastic

nurses and doctors in that hospital and every other hospital in Northern

Ireland and I am going off on a tangent, but you might have talked

about health, the health system asked for ?45 million in June to

help waiting lists in Northern Ireland and they warned that waiting

lists would deteriorate and that means that people that vote for you

suffer and working-class -- working-class people suffer. I have

seen protests when Gerry Adams got arrested on the streets, with the

DUP, out protest in if people cannot walk down a road, fair enough, they

are allowed to do that, I do not know if there have been protests

about waiting lists and not penny -- not 1p of that money has been

delivered by either you or the DUP or anyone else in this country. Is

that not an absolute indictment on everything you are doing in

Stormont, not 1p of the 45 million pounds. I want to see money going

into health and education. Deliberate! Protest about that! We

have placards about that and we have protests about that. We want to stop

Tory cuts, that is what is decimated the Executive. We want to stop tax

credits being taken of some of our most probable people who are trying

to work, trying everything they can... That is all very fine

rhetoric, but people want action. That is not rhetoric. I asked why

over 120,000 people in chronic pain, lying on their backs, why are

they on a waiting list for over three months last May. It has grown

to 170,000 today. I am going to come back to gay marriage. I tell you why

it is a fair discussion. I want to drive this home to people. You're

pitting waiting lists are against the rights of the LGB T community. I

have gone off on a tangent for a couple of minutes... I think we

should remind everyone at home that while the time is being talked about

about gay marriage and you're bringing back every six months,

every political party in this country is not delivered the money

the health service needs, not 1p. I do not accept that. Really? We have

the chair of the Health Committee and she is doing tremendous work in

fighting for health but what we need is funding for health, but we also

need right for our LGBT community and it is not a waste of time

discussing those rights. Let me come back to this, Jimmy Brace and you

said I oppose the redefinition of marriage not only because I dislike

gay people as individuals but because I oppose that lifestyle

choice. What lifestyle choice. I will touch on that. I am absolutely

opposed to same-sex marriage. I am a democrat and I do believe in

democracy. Whenever the same-sex motions are brought forward, which I

do believe Sinn Fein is abusing, when they are brought forward, I

have to say that the DUP foot put aboard a petition after Skerne is

disgraceful and they say that is unfair against the LGBT community.

If there is a democratic grow -- vote I will argue against it.

However, I have to say they should be allowed to fight on and it will

battlefield. If I could finish. What I am saying is I do not think they

are being treated fairly in terms of people putting petitions of concern

said. The democratic process is there for a reason. You have

described being gay as a lifestyle choice. Someone gets up in the

morning, they decide, I am going to be gay today! Someone gets up on

Saturday, they will decide to be straight. That is a good

interpretation. You are misinterpreting it. Do you believe

being gay is a lifestyle choice? I do. They press a button or what do

they do? I believe it is a lifestyle choice and if people want... Based

on what evidence? I believe it is a lifestyle choice. It is not accepted

by any mental health organisation. I oppose a lifestyle choice of someone

in a same-sex marriage. I disagree with that. I am perfectly entitled

to do that in a democracy. I have no issue with the people and there is a

democratic vote, I would have to agree with that if it is past. It is

your religious belief? Yes. I am entitled to hold that in a

democracy. These are my views and I am entitled to lobby my elected

representatives about it. You're a man of God? Yes. That has driven

new? Let us not go off on a tangent. I see where you're going. Go ahead.

Let us not personalise the debate. It is not about me. It is a social

issue. This is in your letter, Jamie Bryson. It is a social issue, I am

not personal. It is not a lifestyle choice. You are just wrong. If that

is what you believe. APPLAUSE. I will let you come in in

a second. I want you to explain to me what your religion is telling you

in terms of why it is your religion driving you to oppose someone like

Fergal McFerran. It will not affect your life or personal space. What is

it about your religion that are so offended? I believe the Bible

defines marriage as between a man and a woman. I believe in society

that is the way and marriage should be. There are a couple points I want

to make. David talked about being bored of this debate. I am 23 years

old, I am bored of living in a society that tells me there is

something fundamentally wrong with me. That is wrong and needs to

stop. The language used here by some people is really harmful... I did

not interrupt you. Please let me finish. Surely some respect at

least. APPLAUSE. I want to come back to

Jamie Bryson, I was raised in a Catholic environment and I studied

theology and I understand the Bible and have read scripture. I know for

a fact because I have studied faith and religion that Jesus Christ

reached unconditional love, what you are talking about and the way so

many people in this country talk about their faith and in this debate

is not what Jesus Christ talked about, not unconditional love. It is

not up to you to interpret has someone else interprets the Bible. I

can add to my parents at the weekend and I wrote about my experience

online. The messages I have received have been unexpected and I have been

overwhelmed. They have been from Orangemen, priests, Catholic

priests, ministers from different churches, complete strangers and

they have all overwhelmingly told me that they support me and paint I

should have the right to get married in Northern Ireland and to be

perfect the honours, I think the representatives in Stormont do not

represent the people of Northern Ireland properly on this issue.

APPLAUSE. I'm not taking issue with you as a person and I respect you as

a person. What I am saying is I believe that marriage should be

between one man and one woman and I'm entitled to hold that view and

articulate that view in a democracy. I'm not trying to force it on to

you, this is a democratic process, here are my views, let us have a

democratic vote. Let us do it without a Petition of Concern, let

us not put that in, it is an uneven battlefield and the LGBT community

are being treated unfurl a banner that. When you talk about the Bible,

in this letter, this letter to councillors, ... When was that? You

rotate! I did not ask you that, I asked you when it was you wrote it!

I am not disputing that. You say that you have a child out of

wedlock. Let me make a point. Did you write that? Hold on. You would

not put that to anyone else on the panel and you would not

personalise... Hold on! You wrote it! Do not personalise this about

me, if I started to personalise about you... If I write an open

letter to someone, I am asking you did you write this? I accept that.

So the obvious question... This is an important debate and you're

trying to personalise it. No... If I can finish the question. The

question is this, for those religious people who are absolutely

entitled to their religion who are entitled to say to others, this is

what the Bible says about gay marriage, or those religious people

following the Bible in their own lives? Which is why the context of

something that you have said in your open letter to councillors, where in

your personal life, you have not followed the Bible but you are

telling him to follow the Bible to the letter of the law. Hold on, I do

not want to get into a the ology lesson, but what I will say is this,

there is no one in this, anywhere who does not commit sin, no one is

perfect. Yes have I done things that are simple, absolutely. Does that

mean that I should not attempt to articulate what I believe? In terms

of same-sex marriage? Does that take away from that? Everyone has sinned

will stop surely I am in title to hold those views. I am not perfect

and I do not claim to be perfect. I am no better than you. I guess the

point I'm trying to make is it is not illegal to have a child out of

wedlock. It is not illegal but you are using the Bible to say to Freya

Jones it should be illegal for him not to get married because you

object to that badge -- Fergal McFerran. If I went into your

personal life, I would be marched out of the BBC. If I went into your

personal life, you would not be pleased. I think that is very bad

taste. Why do due write this in an open letter, I am confused. I wrote

a letter to the councillors. Stop trying to twist the issue! You're

trying to be controversial and make it about me. You're trying to get

away from the debate. It is a debate on a social issue. God is the giver

of life but he says it is an abomination to sleep, men to men, it

is an abomination. What are you saying? That it is wrong. I have

nothing against the gay community or the gay people, but what I am saying

is to the likes of Catriona Ruane, by tickling their ears and telling

them everything is all right and they are going to vote for them,

what they are actually doing is leading them down a false pass. They

are leading them into a path of destruction. The Bible says there

are two ways, heaven or hell and what they are doing by telling these

people it is OK, everything is fine, we will go your way, do you not

understand what she's doing? She's taking you down wrong path. It is an

abomination. You should be leading them on another path. You have the

right to your own belief that the language you're using, Ballard

Bridge of abomination is so harmful to our community. It is what the

Bible says! It is still harmful. Christianity is about promoting

positivity and supporting people. That is not

What were talking about is how marriages recognised under the law.

All people should be recognised as equal under the law. We have a

ridiculous situation we have Unionists, like Jamie and David who

oppose equal marriage. Are you a Unionists? No. Who oppose that

parrot the existing across these islands. How could you call yourself

a nationalist and oppose rights which are now enshrined in the Irish

constitution voted for the by the vast majority of people in the

Republic of Ireland? Let me talk to Susan Leith who is in our Bristol

studio tonight. You are an opponent of gay marriage. As the world fallen

in. Since it was legalised. No, but certainly there have been certain

changes that have happened. Certain people using the change in the law

to try to put pressure on Rhodesia 's institutions to change what they

believe. -- religious institutions. What has changed? What has been

difficult. Only 14,000 people have entered into same-sex marriages over

the last year and half of them were already in civil partnerships,

compared to the quarter of a million opposite sex marriages taking place.

So the world is not going to his ball in, it is a small number of

people, but the nature of marriage has changed. Who is on the line?

Sean, go ahead, Sean. We the people in Northern Ireland are fed up

listening to the politicians squabbling week after week. They are

still talking about the IRA and bombs and things. Move on from it.

We will let the people decide here. And help you if you are fed up with

the IRA Army Council in Howard government. -- you should be ashamed

of yourself. -- in Howard government. I am fed up with people

like you, talking about the same thing. All right, thank you very

much. Go ahead, yes. It is going to be legalised eventually. I just

think young people are not represented enough. Once the younger

generation starts coming in, they will be set on this issue. I wonder

if there is a wider discussion in Northern Ireland that needs to be

had, that even the political parties here are against gay marriage. To be

fair to them they are labelled by some people as being bigots and

being zealots. And actually, that might not the case. There's maybe a

need for a wider discussion in Northern Ireland for those political

parties to come in and tell us what they think of gay people, keep gay

marriage out of it. I asked the other day, do you think that a gay

person's sexuality is natural. Take gay marriage out of it. You are an

elected representative. You think homosexuality is natural? I do, yes.

The debate is essential because we are legislators and we are going to

enact, if Catriona Ruane has her way, a law. I need to know more

about it. There's a young man of their introducing the subject of

young people. You're absolutely right. But there are in mind that I

am a father and grandfather. And when I listen to my children and my

grandchildren that also, Wilson the work that I do as an MLA, and there

are two schools coming next week to talk to, I do their debating

societies. Not once have they ever asked me a question, the young

people of Northern Ireland, about same-sex marriage. Well, they might

once. At the end of the day everyone has to make the Rhone informed

choice. I think in this place now people have two except the way that

these individuals choose to live their lives. Why not let the people

of Northern Ireland the side, have a referendum, and letters the side? --

beside. Ukip would support many referendums

and this is one I would welcome. Let's hear what the people say. You

people tell us that we don't know what we are doing, all sorts of

things. I would want to hear what you want to tell me. I attended a

gay wedding at the weekend, two of my good friends who have waited

years to get married under the eyes of the law, and it was beautiful.

Probably the nicest wedding I have attended. Nobody should be able to

tell you you can and cannot marry. It has become more of an abuse of

power. I agree with that and there is nobody worse for that than Sinn

Fein. They don't bring this legislation in every six months,

they have a petition of concern every six weeks. The greatest number

of petitions of concern are brought in by the DUP. The addition of

concern is a mechanism to protect equality. And actually, the DUP are

using it to block equality for the LGB community. Why is it

protecting equality if they bring it in but not if you bring it in? It is

a mechanism to protect and they are using it to discriminate against. We

don't want to bore everybody stupid on the programme but thank you very

much indeed. Give everyone on the panel around of applause. Just to

remind you, a big subject. There's about at the assembly next week. We

will see how that goes. And of course we will be across it on the

Nolan radio show at half past nine every day. That is kicking off on

Twitter. If you want to continue talking to us on Twitter it is

@StephenNolan. Now for some music and this duo is

the first country music band to Singing their hit single

State Lines, it's The Shires. # You always take me by surprise,

like when it rains in California # Yeah, you do

# You got a crazy sense of humour, dry as the sands in Arizona

# You know you do # But I love everything about you

# Yeah I love all the little things # Like when you roll your eyes like

a cool New Yorker # Driving across the Mason Dixon

line # I've gotta smile

# Cos you're warm like a night in a southern summer

# Sweet like a taste of California wine

# I love crossing your state lines, state lines

# State lines # You can cry like the Mississippi,

when we're just watching a movie # It's kinda cute

# You sweep me away like a hurricane, over Louisiana

# And I let you, yeah # Cos I love everything about you

# Yeah I love all the little things # Like when you roll your eyes like

a cool New Yorker # Driving across the Mason Dixon

line # I've gotta smile

# Cos you're warm like a night in a southern summer

# Sweet like a taste of California wine

# I love crossing your state lines, state lines

# And I'm learning every day, # A little bit more and more with

every state # All the little things

# Like when you roll your eyes like a cool New Yorker

# Driving across the Mason Dixon line

# I've gotta smile # Cos you're warm like a night in

a southern summer # Sweet like a taste of California

wine # I love crossing your state lines,

# Your state lines # State lines. #

Thank you. Beautiful, wasn't it? That's my favourite from so many

series. Thank you very much indeed. Beautiful, beautiful music. To a

serious subject now. Already this year 58 people

have died on the roads. You would have to go back three

and a half years to have a single month without a road death

- that was way back April 2012. It is why we as a programme have

tried to highlight this. You don't imagine yourself

surrounded by paramedics or fire

crews cutting you out of a car. What you are

about to see is a reconstruction, but it happens for real in

Northern Ireland all too often. Just going to undo your bot. -- your

button. We are going to stabilise the vehicle. We know that there's a

lot happening at the moment. We are just helping you to breathe, OK? The

glass will be breaking around you, Stephen. We're cutting on your right

hand side. It is scary. you're OK. Try not to move. Try not to move!

Nice and still. Can we have Stephen covered over? We are just going to

put the blanket over your face for a second.

Keep going. Keep going. Keep going, anyone spare go round the other

side. Tie it down so it does not come back up. OK. What we are going

to do now is applied board behind your back. OK. -- slide a board. It

is fine. We will grab hold of your clothing and hold you up. God help

you! It will be on one two, three. Move. Keep it going if you can. One

more foot. OK, well done. Is there a camera on me? Can you see

me, Jim? What you do get a sense of inside the car is the absolute

professionalism of the people around you and that was genuinely scary.

They did that for real. You start to think what these people do for a

living, day in and day out, it isn't edible because there's little in

their hands. -- is incredible. Of course I speed. This will make me

think differently, absolutely think differently. One male casualty

removed by ambulance personnel to hospital.

That was terrifying for me to go through

It's a different matter when it is real life.

It happens every month. Let us look at the audience. How many of you in

your time driving have glanced at a text or mobile phone while driving.

I am one of them. How many of us speed? Yes. And that is the reality

of some of it. Richard Alcorn, I am grateful for you coming into night.

You have been there for real. Yes I have. What happened? It was a two

car collision on my way home from work in 2006. Ten years ago. I can

see the car. It is when you see what happens to these pieces of metal.

You were inside that. You do not remember much about it. I do not

remember much of the accident. What injuries did you sustain? Ankles,

knees, a broken pelvis, put one leg through the back of my pelvis, broke

my tail bone, my neck, a broken jaw, to our trees damaged, one going

to the brain, I lost my arm through an operation after the accident.

This is you in hospital. My mother took that. I had the collar on, I

could not look down to see this car. I wanted to. A lot of bits and

pieces were done. Sometimes when I do stuff for television, you're

doing it for television, I have not been able to stop thinking about

this and sometimes we speak to young drivers, but we are talking to us

all when you look at this. Here is young man without an arm. Dad,

you're beside him. You work for the Fire Service. You actually attended

your son's crash. I got the call on the way home from a dental

appointment and I was there before the local fire in Donegal. It was

scary, a scary moment when it is your own child. You do not know how

it will go. It is terrifying. I realise right from the start they

were really bad injuries. What is it you see in a situation like that?

Well, it is strange to say, he was making really strange noises that I

have not heard since or heard before that. I knew you it was terrible and

it was going to be bad. It was just one of those things, I thought he

would not make it, not going to make it. But, the improvement he has made

sense is unbelievable. But, it is terrifying. Every time I hear of an

accident I think about the parents and what they are going through.

Richard, what do you say to someone who takes a risk a car? It is not

yourself you're risking, it is what is coming towards you. It is who is

sitting beside you or who is at home. I cannot lie, I did speed from

time to time, I probably still do, but I would not have thought before

it, my mother and father at home, I lost a cousin in 2005 and it did not

click home because it was not as close to home as myself. Inspectors

Stevie Hazlett from the police, what is it like when you have to knock a

door? That is one of the worst tasks I could be asked to do. You have had

a window tonight of what it is like at a scene, the sounds, the smells,

worse than that, the silences. If I had a choice and it is not much of a

choice and I have stood many times that seems, I would prefer to stand

at a scene than not a word. Because, there is no set reaction as to how

people will react to you. You are about to deliver a message that has

the most devastating affect on that family. That starts with the family,

the circle of friends, work colleagues, it affects everyone.

Mark Smyth, sorry I am rushing, from the Fire Service, thank you for

allowing me to see what I am making myself vulnerable in an everyday.

But for the grace of God, I could be doing that for real. We all think we

are looking at a phone, sending a text, it is dangerous when you see

the after-effect. For a moment's in attention you can change a life for

ever and we are asking people, just to really look at what they are

doing when they are driving. A couple of pieces of advice we would

give, drive at the right speed, appropriate to the road conditions

and never take your eyes off the road, pay attention fully to the

road at all times and that includes especially these days, not to look

at the mobile phone. Take that text, you look at that mobile phone you

can change your life forever. Thank you for coming in and Jackie and

Sean, thank you for coming in and all the Mrs, I also got an

opportunity to see what you do and you do an incredible job, so on

behalf of the community, thank you so much for what you do.

APPLAUSE. . We have got to move on, but think.

My celebrity guest tonight is a snooker star

He played alongside the big names like Steve Davis, our own Alex

Higgins. But recently he has faced some

tough battles away from the baize. Here to talk about his highs

and lows on and off the table, I watched you as a kid and all of

that and I wanted you to come tonight because I was shocked at

your story of what you have had to fight through. More recently. It has

been awful. It has been a bad time. I got involved in gambling too

heavily and I got sent bank run fibre six weeks ago. I also had a

stroke recently and I have got double vision -- bankrupt. I am this

size for real! I was concerned in case you weren't. I do wear a class

with a prism but I can see... Do you think the stroke was as a result of

the stress of the bankruptcy which was fuelled by the gambling? The

problem was I had borrowed from friends and of course, when it came

to the crunch, I could not pay it back. That was when I think I got

stressed out. What we gambling on? Horses mainly. Obviously my era when

I was playing snooker, I used to gamble on myself occasionally but

you're not allowed to any more. You should clip of me playing Steve

Davis and I had backed myself to win 100 grand stop in the UK match were

you missed the blue ball! You had gambled ?100,000 on that! Not on

that shot. How did you miss that? Impossible to miss. It was Gary

Lineker's fault. Gary Lineker is one of my closest friends. We were

playing the match and it was 13-8 going into the ninth session and as

we were going back to the hotel, he said make sure you win the first

frame and it is impossible for you to lose. We did not talk about what

would happen if I lost the first frame. I was on the blue, I relax

and thought I had won. I went back to the chair thinking I could lose.

In my era there was no positive mental attitude, I have always been

weak. The gambling was screwing you up. How much did you lose in the

gambling? Just recently ?1 million. I had not got it, but I lost it.

What kind of money were you betting? The problem with gambling is you

think tomorrow that you will win. What was your biggest bet? About 40

or 50,000. It was on multiples. In the 1980s I was earning up to 20

grand a week. It is a bit like the footballers, so many footballers are

in trouble, two or three Premiership footballers that I know who have

remortgaged their houses and they are getting ?60,000 a week. We were

talking in the dressing room, I think credit cards and credit have

been the ruin of this country, without question. You were using

money lenders and loan sharks. I got in trouble with that. When you

cannot pay some people back... I got threatened and they threatened my

wife. That is when I realised... Threatened to do what? To come

around and harm her or hire me. They threatened to cut her fingers off,

is that true? Yes, that is true. This is a problem. When you have a

disease, drugs or alcohol or gambling, it is so hard, because you

live a lie. I go through my life, everyone thinks I am happy-go-lucky,

I am laughing and joking, when I sit at home, I am like that. Depression

is the most horrible thing. Obviously everyone has their own

problems. The reason I am moving through this, unfortunately we have

to have a half minutes. A stroke is scary. I did not know I had had a

stroke, I was speaking at a dinner in London and I woke up the next

morning and my right eye was towards my nose. Recently, I can now look at

my phone and read it and my eyes are getting better, but it has been ten

weeks as I have been able to see properly. The stress is horrible.

Does the stroke scare you psychologically when you're told you

have it? I had a stroke five or six years ago and there is a mark on my

scan but there was no mark on the scan this time. It is just a little

TIA that has gone through the back of my head. The surgeon said they

had never seen anything like it will stop how are you going to fight

back? Take time. I borrowed money from friends and people who could

afford it, it was not like I was borrowing money from someone who

could not pay the mortgage. Obviously I borrowed serious money

off a couple of people, but I am a man of honour and hopefully, a

gambling debt as a gambling debt of the people I have borrowed money

from hopefully I will pay back. Do you get support from the

superfamily? They have been great. I text John Higgins today, he watched

the match, he beat Shaun Murphy, he never missed a ball. I said that was

fantastic. He asked how I was doing and said everyone was thinking about

me. I have made a mistake, held my hands up, I am seen double. There

are 14 of us there. What you call your man second from the left? Terry

Griffiths. He used to do my head on, he was so slow! He was slower than

that. Do you remember him? Is he still alive? Absolutely. You bought

our record Snooker Loopy. Cliff Thorburn, he was slower than Terry!

Who is that? . Neal Foulds. He got to number three in the world. Never

heard of him. He will be pleased to hear that. I will tell him. I wish I

had more time with you. I love the show. It is different, isn't it? I

will tune in every night. I want to get you onto the radio show. Ladies

and gentlemen, give Willie Thorne a round of applause.

APPLAUSE. . We need to extend this show to two and a half hours and

extend my salary by two and a half times! That is it for us this week.

There's a Nolan Live with a difference next week.

We're teaming up with RTE's Primetime programme

for a big discussion on issues facing both parts of the island.

And we'll be revealing the findings of a specially

That's it for another packed Nolan Live but let's keep

the conversation going on Twitter tonight and I'm back on Radio Ulster