RUTH O’NEILL

Television presenter, ‘Xpose’

I think since I have moved back to Ireland from LA and New York. I have probably been drinking less. In LA and New York, I was out all the time. I was living alone, going out for dinner and drinks were a part of my social life. I used to be out networking non-stop, so I probably do drink less since I’ve moved back. But when I drink I like to enjoy myself.

I think there is way less of a drinking culture in LA. Everywhere in LA closes at 2am. If people are out they’re either watching their calories or they’re networking, so they want to have clear heads. I think New York and London are way more into night life and partying. But, surprisingly, I probably had the wildest years of my life in LA. Maybe it was because I was in my 20s; but I went to some crazy parties.

I think when in a city like LA, you’re anonymous, so you can kind of get away with a bit more as well. I don’t mean anonymous in the sense that I work in TV. I mean anonymous in the sense of bumping into people you know. Ireland is so small you can’t get away with much here.

I’ve been trying to be good and leave my partying for when I go to London or Ibiza or New York. You can let your hair down in a bigger city.

I’m a work-hard, play-hard kind of person. I’ll work really hard and then I love a good party. I like to enjoy myself. I think that’s the point of working hard — you want to be able to let loose afterwards. Hangovers are different in every city. In LA I would get up, put on sports gear and hike up Runyon Canyon and then go to yoga. You always sweat it out. In New York when you’re hungover it’s brunch. In Ireland you literally go from the couch to your bed, the couch to your bed. I think in Ireland when I’m hung-over I cannot move, I don’t know what it is. Ireland is just: ‘See you on Monday . . . This day is gone.’

I love wine, a New Zealand sauvignon blanc, or a whiskey or a gin. I don’t smoke or do drugs, so I think a drink or two is fine. Later in life, with kids or more responsibility, you can’t really run amok. So I’m going to try and live it up for as long as I can.