Karen admits she’s a different woman to girl who started on Xpose
KAREN Koster has told how being a mum has changed her so much since she started presenting Xpose.
The 37-year-old Virgin Media star recalled how she splashed out on a car when she landed the gig on the glamorous entertainment show in 2007.
Karen, who recently welcomed her third child Eve, said her life is “very, very different” now.
The broadcaster told the Irish Mirror: “I’m such a baby bore. All I want to talk about is babies, parenting and toddlers and all that stuff. I’m so boring now – not that I was very exciting before.
“It’s weird because I wasn’t particularly maternal or broody or anything like that. Now it’s my world and I love it.”
When asked if she has changed since the start of Xpose, Karen said: “100%. I was still living at home with my parents when I started the show. We were on the cusp of the Celtic Tiger and I went out and bought myself a car to celebrate the job – I would never do that now.
“I was saving up to try and buy a place, I hadn’t met John [Mcguire – her husband] – it was a very very different time for me. I’ve really grown up.”
Despite having three children under the age of four, Karen said she’s feeling more relaxed than ever when it comes to parenting. The Dubliner added: “I’m sure social media exacerbates it but for me, I wanted to be able to say, ‘I have this, I’m coping’. But some days you just don’t cope very well and you do need a bit more help.
“It’s not even a social media thing. I just thought I would be good at it. Like every job, you think you’re going to do well if you try hard enough.
“Some days you just don’t know what that baby wants and that baby just won’t play ball.
“At this stage, I’m more relaxed. I said the other day, I wish I could have had Eve first because I’m so different to how I was with Finn. “[With your first baby] you’re googling everything and worrying, whereas Karen with Xpose team Cassie Stokes & Glenda Gilson this child has been rearing herself – she’s been brilliant. I think [if you’re stressed] it does wear off on the baby.”
While Karen is on maternity leave until January, she will be back presenting with Cassie Stokes at the Xpose Style Sessions, which take place at The Castleknock Hotel in Dublin later this month.
She said: “I’ll just be popping back. Glenda will already have gone on maternity leave so it’ll be myself and Cassie at the helm, hosting on the day.
“They asked me to do it before I even had the baby so I was happy to still go back and put the presenting hat on for one day only.
“I’m really lacking [in glamour] these days so it’ll be a lovely excuse to get glammed up and get back into that world again.”
■ Tickets for the event on October 21 are available now on www.eventbrite.ie.