Filming Fairytale of New York: 'There was a pile of drinking going on'

The Pogues. File photo / supplied

Shane MacGowan was so drunk while filming the video for Fairytale of New York that Matt Dillon had to hold him up.

The Irish hellraiser enlisted the Hollywood actor to star as a policeman in the video accompanying his festive song but Matt, 48, revealed Shane was so intoxicated as they filmed it in a New York police station, he had to hold him up.

Matt said: "There was a pile of drinking going on. That's The Pogues - drinking.

"Even if I'd wanted to catch up, I couldn't because they were so out there.

"Shane was pretty liquored-up, so when I was holding his arm, he could have gone down the stairs."

Shane - who will turn 55 Christmas Day, admitted the policemen were not impressed at his drunkenness while filming the video in their station in 1987.

He said: "We nearly all got arrested because we did the jail scenes in the nick and we were all really p****d."

The festive classic also features the late singer Kirsty MacColl and was the most played Christmas song on UK radio in 2012.

- Bang Showbiz