From GAA Pitch to Podcast Stardom: The 2 Johnnies Take on Social Media Scams
The 2 Johnnies, tipperary’s beloved comedic duo, have taken the internet by storm with their insightful yet hilarious podcast series, exposing the ongoing “GAA Catfish” scam. The podcast, which has garnered over two million streams worldwide, revealed the disturbing reality of fake social media profiles preying on inter-county GAA footballers, even targeting one of the duo, Johnny B, himself.
The furor surrounding the scam prompted the Irish comedians to appear on Friday’s Late Late Show GAA Special on RTÉ One, where they voiced their frustration with social media companies. “We would say to people, be safe online as the social media companies need to do more,” said Johnny Smacks. “They’re making billions and they don’t give a sh*** about people. They need to do more.”
The duo also commended the Gaelic players Association (GPA) for swiftly reacting to the crisis. “Fair play, the GPA contacted all of their members today to warn them,” remarked Smacks, applauding their proactive approach in safeguarding their members against online manipulation.
Their passion for all things GAA extends beyond the podcast, with both Johnnies deeply involved in the local scene. Johnny Smacks is an active member of his local junior team, and they both shared their love for the sport alongside renowned GAA pundit and former Kerry footballer Pat Spillane on the Late Late Show.
Johnny Smacks, reflecting on his team’s success last year, humorously quipped, “Fellas often tell me I do my best hurling without the ball. We got there in the end. this is only a medal now; we didn’t win the county.” Adding a playful anecdote, he revealed a local woman’s concern about her husband’s involvement with the team: “I met a woman recently and she told me that she’s not letting her husband back to play with us next year. I said, ‘was it the injuries, was it the training…’ ‘No,’ she said ‘It was the celebrating. I can’t have him out that much!’”
Their rise to fame has seen them launch a successful podcast, star in their own RTÉ TV show, and even tour australia. This summer, they’ll bring their “Pints in a Field” show to St Anne’s Park in Dublin and headline the “Farmer’s Bash Weekender” in Belfast. But it all began with a simple invitation to host their local GAA’s “Strictly Come Dancing,” a defining experience for the duo. ”One of our first times ever on stage was to host the local GAA’s Strictly Come Dancing,” recalled Johnny B. “And I have to say that our new club chairman in Cahir is Johnny Smacks so there is going to be one hell of a lot of fundraising going on this year.”
The duo even utilize their platform to promote their local club,showcasing a QR code at all their events that links directly to the Cahir club raffle. “At all our gigs, we put a QR code on the big screen so everyone buys a ticket to the Cahir club raffle so whenever we have a gig, the raffle ticket sales go up. But if it’s won by someone outside of town, there’s fecking war!” joked Smacks.
“The night we hosted that Strictly event,our own club didn’t want us to do it,” added Smacks. “They were like ‘no, we should get Gerry Duffy. He’s a safe pair of hands’. But we did it and the first night we stepped on stage together was all thanks to the GAA.”
Johnny B, taking a break from his role on the local junior team this year, shared his enthusiasm for continuing his involvement with the club in a different capacity. “I’m going to try and help Johnny and the lads on the sidelines,” he explained. “Anyone who gets a chance to play for their local club, it’s amazing.And if anyone out there is thinking of putting their kids into GAA, do it. I have friends from 17 to 70 who love it and have the craic.”
Tune in to Friday’s Late Late Show on the RTÉ Player to hear the full interview with The 2 Johnnies
What measures are The 2 Johnnies advocating for social media companies to implement to prevent fake profiles and online scams targeting individuals, especially within the GAA community?
Archyde Exclusive: An Interview with The 2 johnnies – Unmasking the ‘GAA Catfish’ Saga
Archyde: Welcome, johnny Smacks and Johnny B, or as the world now knows you, ‘The 2 Johnnies.’ We’re thrilled to have you here today to discuss your groundbreaking podcast series, the ‘GAA Catfish’ scam, and your calls for enhanced online safety.
The 2 Johnnies: thanks for having us! We’re delighted to be here.
Archyde: Let’s dive right in. Your podcast has Xamarin details of fake social media profiles targeting inter-county GAA footballers, even reaching one of yourselves. What sparked this investigation?
Johnny B: Well,it started when I received a message that seemed a bit too good to be true. I thought it might be a laugh, but it turned out to be part of a much bigger issue.We decided to dig deeper and expose it all for everyone’s safety.
Johnny Smacks: It was initially meant to be a bit of craic, but once we started uncovering more cases and seeing the emotional toll it took on the players, we realized the seriousness of the situation.
Archyde: Your podcast has garnered over two million streams worldwide. How surprised where you by its success and impact?
The 2 Johnnies: Absolutely gobsmacked, to be honest. We just wanted to have a laugh, but to see the support we’ve had from people all over, it’s been incredible. It’s shown us that there’s an appetite for this kind of content, but also that people care about what we’re putting out.
Archyde: You’ve both been quite vocal about the need for social media companies to do more. Can you expand on that?
Johnny Smacks: Yeah, look, these companies are making billions, and yet they don’t seem to be doing enough to protect their users. There needs to be stricter verification processes, better reporting systems, and they need to take duty when fake profiles are found and reported. They can’t just hide behind algorithms.
Archyde: Following your podcast, the Gaelic Players Association (GPA) swiftly warned their members. how significant was their response, and what else needs to be done?
Johnny B: fair play to the GPA, they were straight on it. They’re looking after their members, and that’s fantastic. We need more of that – proactive approach, education, raising awareness. but it’s not just down to the GPA or the players; social media companies,parents,and the public all have a role to play.
Archyde: You’ve gone from Tipperary comedians to global voices on online scams. What’s next for ‘The 2 Johnnies’?
The 2 Johnnies: (Laughs) Not too sure about ‘global voices’ yet,but we’re definitely loving this podcast journey. We’ve got a few more episodes planned in the ‘GAA Catfish’ series, and we’re also working on some other exciting projects. We just want to keep making people laugh and making a difference, one podcast at a time.
Archyde: Well, you’ve certainly done that with the ’GAA Catfish’ saga. Thank you both for joining us today and for your incredible work.
The 2 Johnnies: Thanks for having us! It’s been a pleasure.
Archyde: That’s all for today’s interview. Be sure to tune in to ‘The 2 Johnnies’ podcast for more laughs and insight into the world of online safety.
