Footage has emerged of Dara O Briain taking part in an attempt at a World Record on Roy Castle's Record Breakers show in 1991.

The clip posted on social media by BBC Archive shows a group of 1148 Dublin students attempting to break the world record for the longest human centipede. Nothing to do with the horror film of the same name, this is about having you legs tied together as you walk.

The BBC commentary then – or the social media post now – doesn't mention that O Briain, who was a student in Dublin at the time, is in the clip, but the comic spotted himself and posted the following:

"This is definitely me at 24 seconds in, and I have absolutely no recollection of it, but will happily take the credit, although I bet it was UCD science day."

Needless to say most of the comments on X were about how slim and hirsute O Briain was at the time. One poster, Con Murphy, wrote: "34% Jay Leno + 28% Stephen Fry + 23% Morrissey + 9% Jonathan Ross + 6% Hugh Grant"

While many, such as Dutchie here, commented on the double meaning of the challenge: "World’s longest human centipede” is a description that didn’t age well."

If you want to see if they borke the record and also want to see a very young, slim, floppy fringed Dara O Briain click here. O Briain pops up 24 seconds in.