The dried up old hag taboo needs to go... for 50 is the new 40 now and women are rocking it!
DEIRDRE O’kane has told how 50 is the new 40 as her career reaches new heights with a Sky One series and a stage show ready to go.
The Louth actor and presenter was back on our TV screens with her own chat show on RTE and now she’s ready to take the UK by storm.
Deirdre, 52, told the Irish Sunday Mirror: “My Sky job is next. I missed it by two weeks, it was due to shoot at the end of March last.
“So now we are greenlit for February. It’s a stand-up show, I have a house band, a couple of comedians who perform each week – it’s exciting to be working in the UK. Fingers crossed we’ll get it right.”
Opening up on her stand-up show Demented, the mum of two admitted her age and the prospect of menopause takes centre stage.
Deirdre said: “Before Covid hit, I had a show good to go.
“It’s basically all about me, whatever’s going on in my life, there’s a lot in it about my age.
You’re in a better position if you look after yourself, if you are fit and healthy DEIRDRE O’KANE ON PRESSURE OF GETTING OLDER FOR WOMAN
MENOPAUSE
“At this stage I’m getting into menopause stuff, that’s been very interesting to talk about in my new show, it’s still one of those subjects most women hate talking about, they hate it and don’t want it to exist.
“Yet women do talk about it ad nauseam with each other.
“I think the dried-up, old hag taboo needs to go, because 50 is the new 40 now and women are rocking it.
“So that’s a part of it, I’ve been trying to write about it in a different way that I haven’t heard about before.
“I just thought I won’t write about it unless I can make it really different.
“I don’t really know where I am, whether I’m in perimenopause, I hate going into personal detail.
“I’m happy to say I’m in it, I’m happy to talk about it on stage, that’s where I can make it funny.
“I feel like I’ve got a new drive, I really want to do this show.”
Despite huge success, the humble comedian admits when her work was wiped and she was on the Covid payment like a lot of the nation.
She said: “Oh, God, yeah I was on the Covid payment from the start of the year, all my work vanished overnight – my tour, all my live work, my Sky job – everything went.
“I wouldn’t have survived without the Covid payment, I worked 24/7 on Comic Relief, but it was still on the Covid payment, so September.
“I think maybe people think if you’re on the telly, you’re well off, but as I always say to people, it’s Irish telly lads.
“If you were on it all the time you’d be fine, but I’m not.
“I’m a freelancer so you just get in and out again, I do all right but I’m certainly not rich.” And with two kids in the house,
I didn’t work until
Deirdre asserts she’s enjoying imparting worldly knowledge to them.
She said: “Holly is 15 and Dan is 12, they’ve no interest in me on the telly.
“I think I’m better as they get older, I don’t think I was great at the toddler stage.
“Some parents are great at being with their kids, playing and baking but I don’t think I ever was that person.
“I’ve had long stretches of staying at home, I’m only back in Ireland four years, when I was living in London I was staying at home a lot. I might have had periods when I was shooting Moone Boy or Noble but they only take eight weeks and then you’re back to the mammy job.
“I think the answer is part-time, I liked to be around for the pick-up from school, but I don’t like to do that stretch of the full eight hours until bedtime.
“I think part-time is a gift, but when they’re older I like telling them about the world and giving them advice, whatever the hell it might be, for whatever it’s worth. I think I’m able to help Holly through the teenage mess. As a parent you need to be really present, to watch how much screen time they’re getting, it’s a full-time job and a lot of pressure on parents to get it right.
ROMANCE
“You try to get the basics right and hope they’ve enough wit to get them through.”
As for keeping her romance alive with her producer hubby Stephen Bradley, Deirdre revealed: “He is wonderful, he’s a producer on my Sky show too so we’ll be working together again in the New Year, he’s been working his butt off lately, but he’s enjoying it.
“We’re a good fit, I can’t imagine not being able to discuss my work with my partner, it’s so mad what we do.”
And the pressure on women to look good on telly is not lost on the brunette.
She said: “I would say you’re in a better position if you look after yourself, generally speaking it helps if you are fit and healthy. I have good reason not to let myself go, but then again I like to look well.
“I’d be very against any knife using for cosmetic reasons, I think I’ve been around too much surgery and hospitals, but the rest whatever you’re having yourself.”
Tune into Deirdre O’kane and Kathryn Thomas live from the Gaiety Theatre on the NYE Countdown Show which begins live at 10.45pm on Thursday on RTE One.