Grainne confident of sparkling future after meeting with RTE boss
The glamorous RTE star won’t be drawn on leaks but is happy to play Santa’s little helper, says Barry Egan
‘IF I had a diamond for every time it was written that I’d been axed by RTE,” Grainne Seoige said, with a twinkle in her eye, “I’d have more sparkling jewellery than Elizabeth Taylor ever owned.”
The TV star added: “It is about finding the right thing for me in television. It is not about finding just the next thing. I’m very calm, very positive and, most of all, very excited about the future.”
My sources in Montrose told me that Galway goddess Grainne had a meeting with RTE director general Dee Forbes last week, which went well. She was seen entering Forbes’s office last Monday. “I’m not commenting whether I did or not,” Grainne said, refusing to be drawn any further.
The Deep Throat within RTE did add that at the meeting, Forbes was “extremely positive and complimentary about Grainne and her career at RTE and indeed her future”.
Grainne said: “You can go back to whoever is leaking this to you and ask them.”
She did say, however, that “the plates are moving very quickly, very dramatically in television generally. Look at TV3, UTV Ireland, Virgin Media, even RTE. There is a lot of upheaval, a lot of uncertainty. But that uncertainty also creates great opportunity. And I have always been open to opportunity. I was launch anchor for three channel start-ups.”
Grainne added: “It has been a year of great excitement for me. I’m doing something new after 20 years of television,” she said, referring to her new diamond business, gracediamonds.ie.
“I’m really feeling like Santa’s little helper at the moment. We are finishing some fabulous engagement rings in time for Christmas Day proposals. It will be a sparkling day for a few people in more ways than one.”
And is there any hope of a wedding ring on her finger any time soon from Leon Jordaan?
Grainne got engaged to her South African boyfriend in what seems like the distant mists of time, November, 2013, having been dating since October 2011.
“There is very much hope,” she laughed. “There is always hope! We are very happy. The engagement stage must be suiting us. We are both so busy, but I’m sure we will take the next step in the near future.
‘‘Leon and I are looking forward to spending Christmas together. I’m not telling you where. Ask your mole in RTE,” she said, laughing.