'The silence after she said that speaks volumes'

The Irish actor was a guest on the BBC chat show on Friday, alongside Hollywood stars Eddie Redmayne, Paul Mescal, and Denzel Washington.

During the show, Redmayne was discussing his new series The Day of the Jackal, in which he plays an elite assassin.

The conversation got onto the subject of self-defence, and how Redmayne had been trained by a specialist combat expert for his role.

He recalled how the expert taught him how to use a mobile phone as a weapon to jab an attacker in the neck, prompting Mescal to joke about why someone would think to use their phone in that scenario.

The Gladiator II actor said: “Who is actually going to think about that? If someone actually attacked me, I’m not going to go ‘phone!’"

As the guests and Norton laughed, Ronan said: "That's what girls have to think about all the time. Am I right ladies?"

The stark reminder about the reality of violence against women and girls sent Mescal and Redmayne into silence, before sheepishly nodding in agreement as the audience applauded Ronan's comment.

Many praised the Ladybird actor online as well, with one person writing: "Saoirse Ronan gagging men we love to see it."

Another said: "Saoirse Ronan is a queen. Men need a reminder what it’s like being a woman so they can appreciate their privilege. The silence after she said that speaks volumes."

A third commented: "The thing that angered me the most is that Saoirse Ronan, the only woman on the panel, had to almost fight to make her point amongst a group of laughing men who didn’t consider her input or the experiences of women.

"Almost as if that’s the entire f***ing problem isn’t it?"

Someone else said: "Well done for saying it, Saoirse Ronan. End Violence Against Women & Girls."

"The way she waited to hear about their privilege, then hit them with a reality check," a fifth penned.