NUALA CAREY

RTE weather presenter and National Lottery presenter

I would only ever have a drink if I’m meeting someone for a bite to eat. I would say once a week I might meet a friend for dinner, or else I would be going to a launch or something. I’d drink a glass of wine then, so that would really be as much as I’d have per week.

Growing up there would have been very little drink in our house. My mother never drank at all so I would have never seen her sip anything in all my lifetime. My Dad would have a little glass of wine on special occasions, but I’ve never seen my Dad holding a pint of beer in his whole life. It would literally be a glass of wine, I’d say no more than 10 times a year.

There was never a drinking culture in our house. If people came to visit we would never have had spirits in the house. We’d have bottles of wine; but it just wasn’t a big part of our lives. My parents would never go to the pub at the weekend or anything like that. They weren’t into things like that so I suppose I inherited that from them.

If I’m at a social occasion, you might see me being photographed with a glass of wine in my hand — nine out of 10 times I’m holding that because I’m not really sure what else to do with my hands. I think it’s nice to use a prop. Getting drunk is something that I have no interest in.

I think drink can affect me actually quite quickly because I am quite slight. I can’t afford to get out of control. I don’t think I have that much tolerance for alcohol because I’m not that used to it. I never want to get myself into that position. I don’t like it. I suppose I’m really busy as well. I don’t have time to have a hangover the next day.

They say as well that if there are any health benefits it’s in a glass of wine, it’s in the first one. If you have the second one you’re not getting the benefit, so I always say, well, I’ll have the one.

I wouldn’t know that much about wines but I like a really dark, strong one. I like Malbec. I don’t really use drink as a reward. I might say to myself, you have had a long day so you can go for an Indian or Chinese. I would tempt myself with food as it is more satisfying.

If somebody said to me today, for whatever reason, you can never drink alcohol again for the rest of your life, I wouldn’t be upset. I would just say, ‘OK, fine’. But if they said you could never have a piece of cake or chocolate ever again, I probably would cry.