Grainne departs from Crimecall as Keelin takes reins in new-look show
Once one of RTE’s leading presenters, Galway girl Grainne Seoige loses prime time TV slot, writes Niamh Horan
GRAINNE Seoige has been axed from Crimecall —in favour of Keelin Shanley.
Ms Seoige presented Crimecall for the past five years alongside Philip Boucher-Hayes, and the move marks the last major presenting role Ms Seoige held at the station.
Once a year, Grainne will continue to host Up for the Match, which aired last night, and The People of the Year Awards.
The Galway presenter was once a leading light in RTE — but she has been “left out in the cold” in recent years. The news comes only weeks after the Sunday Independent reported that the star was in limbo over her future on the show.
A source said: “After 10 years the show went to another production company and, after some consideration, Grainne was no longer seen as the right fit.
Her co-host Mr Boucher-Hayes told the Sunday Independent: “I won’t be presenting Crimecall this coming season. I have a full-time job in radio on Drivetime and Liveline and a full-time job in TV working on a new series of What Are You Eating?
“On top of which I’m also developing some very interesting TV projects,” he said.
“Trying to squeeze in Crimecall too wasn’t practical any longer. After five years it was time to move on.” Mr Boucher-Hayes finished by offering the best of luck to Keelin Shanley.
This weekend a spokesperson for RTE released a statement which read: “The hugely successful series has been on air for over 10 years with a variety of presenters at the helm. This season, RTE has decided to change the look and feel of the show with Keelin replacing Grainne and Philip as the presenter of the series.
“We’d like to thank Grainne and Philip for their fantastic work over the past six years and we’re looking forward to working with them again on different projects for RTE One in the coming months.”
Although Ms Seoige was not present at the autumn launch and was not linked to any upcoming projects, the statement went on: “Grainne will be hosting Up for the Match and The People of the Year Awards and we will also be talking to her about other potential projects in the coming months. It continued: “Philip is busy working on the second series of What Are You Eating? for broadcast later this year along with his Radio One commitments on Drivetime and Liveline.” “Crimecall has been on air for more than 10 years with different presenters at the helm so we felt it was time to review the series and change the look and feel of the show.” Earlier this month there was shock as Coco Productions, the company which made Crimecall, was told it would no longer be given the task, after more than a decade producing the series. At the time a RTE source said: “Coco Television created, developed and produced it from its inception. But RTE told the company in the last few weeks that they were putting the show’s production up for tender and it has now gone to a production company in the North who will make it for the foreseeable future.”
The source went on: “I’d say it did come as a surprise to Coco.
“It’s been one of RTE’s most successful brands, outperforming the schedule average.”
The show plays a valuable role in Garda investigations, so news that it has gone to a production company outside the state also raised eyebrows.
“When you think about it, it’s a different legislation, another police force, confidential information about victim’s cases will be going outside the state.
“It’s a strange decision but I think it’s part of bigger things that are happening now in RTE.”