Sinn Féin has demanded an apology from RTÉ following host Paddy Kielty’s Late Late Show opening monologue.
The Co-Down born chat host referred to “the Sinn Féin traitors” during the segment on Friday night’s broadcast.
Referencing the hit BBC One show The Traitors hosted by Strictly Come Dancing’s Claudia Winkleman, Kielty said the “hunt is on for people to take part in the Irish version of the hit reality show The Traitors”.
There followed on screen images of Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald, and former Laois–Offaly TD Brian Stanley, who resigned from the party last weekend.
Sinn Féin wants the segment removed from the RTE player.
RTÉ however has defended what it described as a “joke”.
Before the images were shown, Kielty remarked that the reality programme was “full of deception, betrayal, everyone keeps changing their story as well. All we have to work out is who’s telling the truth”.
He then used the term “Sinn Féin traitors” which the party said is “a slogan used by far-right activists in Ireland.
In a statement, Sinn Féin’s director of communications Robbie Smyth said: “Mary Lou [McDonald] has herself been subjected to death threats, where the moniker ‘traitor’ has been used.
“Repeating far right tropes endangers our party members and elected representatives who have been harassed by these groups”.
RTÉ countered that “under Patrick Kielty’s tenure, The Late Late Show has become more satirical, and this is evident with an opening monologue based broadly around topical issues”.
“The presenter joked about recruitment for the new television series The Traitors which is based on a group of people facing, and being tested by various challenges.
“That was the satirical context, given the recent controversies involving Sinn Féin.”
RTÉ has also confirmed Sinn Féin has written to its director general Kevin Bakhurst asking that Kielty “issue a public apology on air next week”.
