Bono had ‘combative relationship’ with late dad

Bono had a “combative relationship” with his late dad Brendan Hewson.

The U2 frontman, 62, born Paul Hewson, makes the admission during an appearance on Friday night’s The Graham Norton Show (28.10.22), while reflecting on how he got a rare compliment from the postal worker after he flew him out to see one of his shows in America.

Bono said about his dad, who died from cancer in 2001 aged 75: “We had a combative relationship and I wanted to impress him, so I flew him out to Texas to see me in concert.

“Afterwards he came in and his eyes were all red and I thought, ‘Oh my God, my father is going to give me a compliment and I did a deep swallow.’

“He put out his hand and said, ‘You are very professional.’ That meant everything to him – and from him it was the greatest compliment.”

The singer recently revealed how he feels about finding out one of his cousins was actually his half-brother.

He told earlier this year how his father Bob had an affair in the 1960s with a “gorgeous woman” – and has now admitted she was his Auntie Barbara and their child is a stock market analyst called Scott Rankin.

He told the Irish Times: “The truth is with Scott, we felt like brothers long before we knew we were. I love Scott and his mother, Barbara.

“I must have known that something was up, and I must have held my father responsible for kind of making my mother unhappy in the way kids just pick up things.”

Bono’s mum Iris Hewson died in 1974 when the he was 14 and she never knew about the affair.

His aunt Barbara was married to Jack Rankin – Iris’ brother – who died two years ago.

Bono learned about the infidelity in 2000, a year before Bob died of cancer, and revealed the affair when he appeared on the BBC’s Desert Island Discs in June.

Scott, aged in his early 50s, is a banking expert in Ireland’s Department of Finance and told the Irish Daily Mail he and Bono – real name Paul Hewson – felt a strong bond “long before we knew we were brothers”.

He added: “I am blessed to have been welcomed with open arms into the Hewson family.

“Not all such stories turn out the way mine has and I was fortunate to discover that I had two fathers take an active part in my upbringing.

“Our extended family have known for some time and we agreed that it made no sense to keep this hidden any longer... we have only love for our parents and we’re grateful to have our families' support in sharing this story.”