IT WAS billed as a glimpse of Paisley the private man but last night’s Late Late Show offered an all-too-rare glimpse of his wife whom Kenny introduced as Baroness Paisley of St George’s.
Although slow on his feet as he took his seat, the brain the Big Man was quickly in gear and he was as sharp as ever.
That unique voice has lost much of its power and it was a quiet version of Paisley who stuck to the party line on Sabbath observance, avoidance of the “Devil’s Buttermilk” and the pitfalls of cinema-going. It was good-natured if predictable and “safe” territory.
Ian junior looked relaxed in the audience. Asked what it was like to be raised in a Paisley household he suggested, perhaps surprisingly that things were “relaxed”.
Then there was the question of that Paisley family holiday to Rome.“I suggested in the suggestion box that Paisley should be Pope,” said Ian Junior.
Big Ian portrayed himself as a simple Christian.
Then, midway through it all came the big question: why did Paisley after years of saying No suddenly turn around and say Yes to Martin McGuinness?
What followed was a very believable anecdote concerning the encounter of the former IRA man and the fundamentalist preacher and the manner in which they struck a deal.
The baroness, meanwhile, played down notions that she was really the one pulling the strings and was central to the Northern breakthrough.
Would there ever be a United Ireland? “I would say God forbid,” he said to laughter .