An Irishman who got a seven-inch tattoo of Marty Whelan’s face on his thigh after losing a Fantasy Football bet says he’s delighted to honour ‘an icon of Irish broadcasting.’
Phil O’Kelly got the tattoo this weekend and posted the whole experience to Twitter – where it came to the attention of the man himself.
On Lunchtime Live this afternoon, Phil said Marty got in touch to say he was honoured.
“The honour is all mine though to be fair,” he said.
“He got on to me and we had a chat on his show this morning. He’s a lovely fella. I suggested he might get one of me, but I don’t think he’s going to go for it.”
I'm honoured to be on Phil's leg... forever https://t.co/TT3elweDml
— Marty Whelan (@martylyricfm) August 15, 2022
He said his fantasy football league went right down to the wire, only for his friend to ‘destroy me with two matches to go.”
Under the rules of the bet, Phil could choose where the tattoo would go, but his friend would choose what it would be.
“His choice was just genius,” he said.
“Marty Whelan’s a nice guy, so I’m happy enough to have lost.”
The bet was against my friend @LeHuss. The terms as follows:
1 - Whoever's Fantasy Footy team got the most points over the 21/22 season, won.
2 - Winner got to choose a tattoo for the loser
3 - Loser got to choose where the tatt went
4 - Tatt had to be minimum size of a €2 coin— Phil O'Kelly (@PhillyOKelly) August 14, 2022
He said his friend chose the broadcaster “because he is a legend to be fair.”
“He is an icon of Irish TV and radio and he is a big fan,” he said.
“Now it wouldn’t have been my first choice for a tattoo but a bet’s a bet, so it had to be done.”
— Phil O'Kelly (@PhillyOKelly) August 14, 2022
Phil said he had originally hoped to get a three-inch tattoo – but was told it needed to be bigger if it was to have life-like definition.
He left it to his wife Kim to choose where to put it and now, he has a seven-inch tattoo on his thigh.
“She wasn’t too thrilled about the idea, but I had broken to her that it was only going to be small thing,” he said.
“I was really hoping to win too, I was in the lead for most of the season that’s why I thought I was hustled really. She doesn’t mind too much.”
He said he has already been challenged to a new bet for this season – with his friend threatening a Terry Wogan tattoo on his other thigh if he loses again.
“I don’t think it’s happening,” he said.
