In May 1997, a controversy erupted after Siubhan Maloney from Donegal featured on the Late Late Show for a furniture restoration competition. She presented a beautifully restored armchair and book, both of which received lavish praise. Ms. Maloney confidently asserted that she had personally upholstered the chair and bound the book entirely on her own, earning admiration from both Gay Byrne and the audience. As a result, she easily clinched the generous cash prize.
However, this seemingly concluded tale took an unexpected turn when a distinguished fine art dealer and restorer, Mr. Joshua Duffy of Dublin's James's Street, filed a libel suit against RTE. He contended that he was the one responsible for completely restoring the chair for Ms. Maloney. When RTE approached Gerry to verify if Ms. Maloney had indeed bound the book, he had to confess that she had not. Ms. Maloney, on the other hand, vehemently refuted the claims made by both Mr. Duffy and Gerry.
