A time to shine
She’s everywhere right now. Xposé… 2FM… Dancing with the Stars, there’s no denying that Bláthnaid Treacy is having a moment. She’s far from an overnight success, however. e Bray native has e ectively grown up on television. She appeared in rural drama Glenroe for 13 years before turning her attention to TV presenting when she nished college.
Over the last ten years, she has been working steadily across Irish and English language media, including TG4’S O olg go Tolg and RTÉ 2’S Two Tube, a live magazine show for young people and one of her highest rated programmes.
Bláthnaid and I met in Dublin city centre. For someone who claims not to be a morning person, it doesn’t inhibit her productivity. It’s only 9am, and already Bláthnaid has nished a photoshoot, for which she styled herself (a velvet suit – Christmassy, but not overly so) and did her own hair and make-up.
As soon as we’re done, she’s o to Virgin Media in Ballymount to do a day’s work. Currently, she is covering Glenda Gilson’s maternity leave from fashion TV show Xposé, making her one of the few presenters to work for RTÉ and its main Ireland-based rival at the same time. “It’s funny the reaction I got when I put up a post on Instagram to say that I was going to be working on Xposé. Lots of people said how did you manage that?” she laughs, “I wouldn’t have taken the job unless my bosses in RTÉ were happy for me to do it. eir reaction was that it’s a great show, it’s more experience and pardon the pun, it’s more exposure. Whenever you work with new people you learn more, so yeah, they said go for it and see you back on Dancing with the Stars in January.”
Bláthnaid has presented the DWTS’ spin-o show Can’t Stop Dancing from the start in January 2017. Now about to start a third season, we can expect changes to the format, she says. “Last year we were more studio-based, whereas this year we are going to be doing more backstage, more gossip; that’s the stu that people want to see…people with rollers in their hair, mid-make-up, mid-meltdown. e line-up is theisisincredible.iknowwhothey incredible. I know who they are but my mouth is zipped!”
Given that she will be working almost every weekend from January to April, one would assume Christmas will be a social a air for Bláthnaid. “No, because if I go wild I could be sick in January, so for the last two Chistmasses, I’ve taken it really easy, very much family and friends orientated, not going out for 12 pubs of Christmas, more let’s go for dinner. Also I am working right up until Christmas Day.”
Bláthnaid will be on air on RTÉ 2fm from 1pm to 4pm on Christmas Eve, playing non-stop festive tunes and keeping people entertained as they drive home to loved ones. A er which, she’ll be hotfooting it to her own nearest and dearest. “I am going straight out to my brother’s house. We’ve a huge family. I’m the youngest of six. ere are millions of us! I’ve 11 nieces and nephews. On Christmas
Eve we are all together.
en on Christmas Day, my Mum will probably have about 20 people. My sister is threatening to cook Christmas dinner this year, so that’ll be interesting. It will be lovely for my Mum not to have to cook for once. She can have a glass of mulled wine ’cos usually it’s the rest of us drinking whilst pretending to help.” My suggestion that this will be her last Christmas as a single lady, she squeals. “Yeah, we’re getting married!” she says of her impending nuptials to long-term boyfriend, the jazz musician Charlie Mooney. “We’re getting married in early summer in our home county of Wicklow. We booked the rst place we went to. I just want to have a big massive party and have loads of fun. We’re getting married outside, so hopefully the weather will be nice. Music is really important to me. It’s a big component of the day and there will be loads of di erent genres. Charlie’s mum is a singer so she will be singing for our rst dance, which is so nice. Charlie is going to be playing. ere will be loads of our friends, my brothers...can you tell that I’m so excited about it?” she laughs, “I wish it was tomorrow!”
Bláthnaid Treacy tells Andrea Byrne about her new gig on Xposé, her upcoming wedding in Wicklow and why she appreciates Christmas after a hectic year at work