I’m gaga for radio... and would love my own show, says Kathryn

SHE has often filled in for the likes of John Murray and Ray D’Arcy – and now Kathryn Thomas has revealed she would love her own Saturday morning show on RTÉ’s Radio 1. The Voice Of Ireland and Operation Transformation presenter, who has just renewed her contract, is in talks with the national broadcaster to front her own weekend slot on the airwaves.

And Ms Thomas, 36, is hoping her programme will get the green light in the New Year.

‘Radio is something I definitely want to do more of,’ she told The Red Carpet. ‘I always enjoy being out and about, so there would be a lot of recorded pieces with people.

‘I’ve always fancied getting into people’s work space and interviewing local butchers or hairdressers, spendi ng time with them and then bringing t hem into studio to sort of co-present – like This American Life.

‘It’s definitely on the cards and we’re working on different ideas; RTÉ Radio 1 is where they’re keeping me.

‘I would like to think that some inroads have been made and I’m doing more documentary-based stuff too, so there will definitely be a lot of the bank holiday weekends doing stuff in there.

‘In terms of [having my] own show by Christmas? I’m not so sure, but maybe next year because I’m just about to get into silly season now in terms of TV land so we’ll see.’

The Carlow native, who is dating restaurant owner Pádraig McLoughlin, has become a television stalwart in recent years. She has already signed up to return to the helm of Operation Transformation and The Voice of Ireland for the coming seasons.

The blonde beauty insisted she has no plans to back out of television in favour of radio, but aims to juggle both. ‘Full-time in radio isn’t feasible for me at the moment, so weekends is where it’s at for me right now and I’d go Saturday.

‘I think there’s a different audience and sport is so huge over the weekend that it’s about finding something that can fit in. ‘Miriam O’Callaghan and Marian Finucane have always done fabulously as well, so it’s finding something that fits in there that complements what’s happening,’ said the presenter.

She yesterday launched Centra’s Walk The World initiative in aid of the Irish Cancer Society’s Action Breast Cancer programme. Walk The World aims to get thousands of people to collectively walk 40,075km – a distance equivalent to the circumference of the earth – on Saturday, October 17. More than 200 Centra stores will host a walk in their local community to promote walking and help raise much needed f unds f or cancer research and support services for people diagnosed with cancer.