News anchor Claire Brock tipped for the Tonight hot seat as Ciara Doherty takes maternity leave
NEWS anchor Claire Brock is hotly tipped as the frontrunner to fill in on The Tonight Show when co-host Ciara Doherty departs on maternity leave, the Irish Mail on Sunday can reveal.
Claire, who has a stellar pedigree in current affairs, has been working in broadcasting for the past 10 years and presents Virgin Media News.
She has displayed her news and current affairs capabilities with probing reports on the channel.
With Ciara expected to take her maternity leave in the next few weeks, the MoS has learned that Virgin have drawn up a ‘fill-in wish list’.
In Ciara’s absence, her seat looks poised to be filled by mother-of-three Claire, who is married to former Leinster rugby star Trevor Hogan.
‘Ciara will definitely be replaced by a female host and it won’t be just a “token” appointment.
‘A lot of women in the Virgin newsroom, like Claire and Zara King, have proven that they can carry any news and current affairs shows.
But, as it stands, it’s looking like Claire is the first choice.’
Ciara Doherty has developed her current-affairs chops with some stellar programmes on The Tonight Show.
The MoS revealed in November that Virgin Media broadcaster Ciara is expecting her second child in June saying: ‘I am pregnant again, actually.’
Donegal native Ciara’s baby news comes just months after she made a successful leap from Ireland AM to The Tonight Show.
Ciara and her producer husband Richard Stern are already parents to their toddler daughter, Renée. In 2018 she bagged the Ireland AM slot vacated by Sinéad Desmond and this year was offered the much-sought-after Tonight gig vacated by Ivan Yates.
While her second child has yet to arrive, Ciara is already planning her return to The Tonight Show. She said: ‘It’s six months out of work and I could be working in Virgin Media until I’m 70, if they let me, so I’ve plenty of time to get stuck back into work.’