James McClean, the fiery and often polarising former Ireland international and current Wrexham captain, has publicly addressed his troubled past and the dramatic car crash he survived — all in a raw and revealing new episode of Living with Lucy.
For those who don’t follow Irish football closely, James McClean grew up in Creggan, Derry, and became well known not just for his performances on the pitch, but also for his bold refusal to wear the remembrance poppy — a decision that has followed him throughout his career.
In the interview, McClean admits that as a child he was deeply immersed in the conflict that scarred his hometown: “There would just be riots here nonstop and you’d be involved in the riots yourself.” He goes further, saying: “From the age of 11, 12, 13 — I knew how to make petrol bombs and knew how to throw them and you would.”
Later, when presenter Lucy Kennedy asked about the poppy controversy, McClean framed it bluntly as “the pain in my arse”. Lucy suggested, “Let’s put it to bed,” to which McClean replied, “I’ve been trying to do that for the last ten years.” He said the debate overshadowed his playing career: rather than being lauded for his goals or performances, he became “the player who doesn’t wear the poppy.”
He also revealed the scale of abuse he’s faced: statements by his then-club Sunderland in 2012, which sought to clarify that the poppy decision was his alone, “killed him” in public perception. He says that after that, the threats escalated: “I was getting death threats, people were saying I should be shot. I was getting bullets in the post, bullets sent to the club.” He described how security was stationed outside his hotel, and how his wife Erin feared he might be shot on live TV. He said the death threats affected his mum and wife more than him, revealing that his mother would turn down the volume when her son was being booed by fans.
McClean explained his choice to stand by his principles: “I could have easily just said ‘I’ll wear a poppy’ and sold myself out… but I’ve stayed true to myself.” He added that the memory of Bloody Sunday, when “six or seven people from the Creggan estate died”, means he cannot in good conscience wear a symbol that, in his view, honours those linked to atrocities. “It frustrates me how people can't see that,” he said.
The conversation also touched on the terrifying crash McClean endured in January. He recounted how, driving in dense fog, he lost control after emerging from behind a lorry: “The back end of the car just spun and hit the path and tumbled four times and landed the right side up … it happened that quickly.” He said he clung to the steering wheel as everything blurred, and in the aftermath found himself miraculously unhurt aside from a few cuts. Now, he says, he drives slower, more sturdily built vehicles: “If that wasn’t a wake-up call I don’t know what was.”
In a lighter moment, his wife Erin revealed their biggest argument came when he posted a photo wearing a balaclava — while teaching their children a “history lesson” at home.
Lucy Kennedy is one of Ireland’s most familiar on-screen personalities. She made her name co-hosting The Podge & Rodge Show, then went on to front her own talk show The Lucy Kennedy Show, Livin’ with Lucy, and more recently the investigative series Real Life with Lucy. She also co-hosts radio programmes and is a children’s book author. On Livin’ with Lucy, Kennedy spends time living in the homes of well-known figures, giving viewers a window into their private lives while navigating tough conversations. Past episodes have featured celebrities like Jade Goody, Gemma Collins, Jedward, and more. This season’s lineup is particularly packed: besides McClean, guests include Caitlyn Jenner and journalist Nicola Tallant, among others, as Kennedy seeks to explore complex, even contentious lives.
In the James McClean episode, viewers get more than football soundbites — they see a man reckoning with his past, forced into the spotlight by public controversy, and refusing to bend. It's a revealing hour that promises to shift perceptions for better or worse.
