Morgan and Ronaldo are in regular contact, Morgan insists. Although there was a slight flicker of mirth across Ronaldo’s face when Morgan suggested he was “like one of my mates”. At one point Morgan was angling for an invite to Ronaldo’s stag do but if he is expecting one in the British tradition he may be disappointed. Fewer pints, more push-ups.
Billed as Ronaldo’s “most revealing interview”, this was instead a painfully obsequious 39 minutes, much devoted to discussing the 40-year-old’s net worth. The personal insights from Ronaldo included “I want to learn about my company’s other stuff” and enjoying padel. “I hear you’re very good at padel,” said Morgan.
Wearing a diamond-encrusted watch the size of a deck of cards, Ronaldo made a hilarious self-effacing joke that sometimes he wears fakes, before quickly clarifying he was joking. Morgan bravely asked the question we have all been pondering: “That moment you realised you were a billionaire, what was that like?” “I was super happy,” thundered Ronaldo. Morgan asks what sort of plane he owned. A Global Express, said Ronaldo. “Nice,” replied Morgan.
This accommodating approach is a necessity for interviews with major stars now. This is a landscape where the only significant interview Taylor Swift gives to promote her new album is to the podcast of her fiancé. In Morgan and Ronaldo’s defence, the as-yet-unreleased part two looks more interesting.
In part one Ronaldo also spoke briefly about the impact of a dreadful tragedy, when his son died during childbirth in 2022. He was at his most likeable when discussing his family and his wish to be more present for them when retiring.
The bromance between Ronaldo and Morgan seems to make both of them happy, to various degrees. Good for them, but do we have to watch it?
