TV viwers have commended Davy Fitzgerald during the latest episode of his show Davy's Toughest Challenge on RTE One tonight.
In the new show, Fitzgerald meets and trains a group of seven men for the toughest challenge of their lives - climbing to the base camp of Mount Everest.
Filmed before the Covid-19 pandemic, the show features young men grappling with issues like drug addiction, isolation, homelessness, unemployment and mental health challenges.
In the second episode of the latest episode, Davy put the team through their paces with two gruelling fitness tests as tensions flared between the group.
But they persevered and completed the test as the gravity to the trip really hit home for Davy and his team.
One fan said: "Fair play to Davy Fitz and RTE showing working class lads from urban communities as human beings with their own struggles and frailties."
"People see the 'Davy Fitz on the sideline' but this program shows how passionate he is about everything he does in life. Brilliant what he's doing for these young men who just need some direction in life," another added.
"I just love Davy Fitz. This programme is so real. All of these lads are incredible," one said.
"Davy Fitz deserves huge credit for #Davystoughestteam the entire concept could make a huge difference in the lives of these young lads".
Fitzgerald - who has also worked on RTE's Ireland's Fittest Family - told the Irish Sunday Mirror last week: “To say doing this show was stepping out of my comfort zone would be putting it mildly.
“I don’t think you can go and say you are going to make massive changes in people’s lives but you can put little steps in there which, if they take, can definitely make a change to their life.
“When I learned of their stories, I got so invested in them. Some of them would break your heart.
“I would be a very soft person even though you wouldn’t think it looking at me on the hurling sideline and I don’t like seeing others going through tough times.
"Some of these guys have had it very tough. I thought that I had a tough upbringing but I had a very sheltered one when I look at what these guys have gone through.
“The guys involved in this show wanted to make a change in their lives but also wanted to show others in similar situations that it’s possible to get help and get out a rut.
“This was definitely more difficult and more of a challenge than managing any team.”
