Following in the footsteps of RTÉ giants
The signif icance of hosting Crimecall isn’t lost on Carla O’Brien
SHE has starred in Riverdance, represented Tyrone in the Rose of Tralee and worked as an analyst for a top accountancy firm, but the new face of RTÉ One’s Crimecall says she is feeling the pressure to live up to the popularity of previous presenters.
Taking over from Sharon Ní Bheoláin in September, Carla O’Brien admitted the long list of female presenters who have hosted the flagship show is both inspiring and daunting.
‘If you’re asking me how I feel after the first two episodes, I am very conscious that I really want to do a good job because I’m aware of those who have gone before me,’ she told the Irish Mail on Sunday.
‘Sharon Ní Bheoláin has been such a supportive influence on me which is amazing and before her, Keelin Shanley, right back to Anne Doyle and Marian Finucane.
‘These are absolutely groundbreaking women in news and current affairs and so for me to come after them I know I feel a lot of responsibility to really do a good job.’
Aside from the pressure, O’Brien has nothing but praise for the role of An Garda Síochána and the public in helping to bring the programme to life.
She said: ‘It’s really opened my eyes to the level of public engagement to really prevent crime in this country.
‘The gardaí and the public are the ones who make the show possible so to work with them and to see what they do day-to-day has been really interesting.’
She added: ‘You can’t underestimate the power of these programmes in preventing crimes so for me that’s been really inspiring. The gardaí know the stories they need help with and it’s making sure the audience can tap into that in a way they can enjoy but also in a way where they can make a difference.
‘There’s a real sense in Ireland that as a community we all just want to help each other, and I feel like it’s a way we can tap into that.’
O’Brien’s latest project sees her tapping into the world of climate change as she attempts to inspire viewers to try and make a difference.
Tomorrow Tonight is set in the year 2050 and sees O’Brien present alongside Mark Little from a studio in Dublin covering the breaking news of a fictional ‘make-orbreak UN climate summit’. It’s billed by RTÉ as ‘guiding viewers through the breaking news moments of a seismic night, as climate change pushes the planet to a moment of crisis!’, but O’Brien is less dramatic in her description.
She said: ‘You read stories about climate change every day, you hear the stories, you watch the stories.
‘There are people who don’t want to hear about it. They feel overwhelmed by it and are
‘As a community we all just want to help’
almost paralysed by fear. This programme strikes a balance. There are elements of hope and people can see in a tangible way how changes they make will make a difference.’
Set 27 years in the future, the programme is based on the latest projections from international organisations like the UN and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change as well as the Irish Climate Change Advisory Council and it’s not all doom and gloom.
‘Ireland has moved from laggards at the turn of the millennium to leaders in 2050 because it has really embraced what it needs to do in terms of biodiversity and how to absorb carbon from the atmosphere,’ O’Brien said.
‘There’s a really bright future for rural Ireland because our restored bogs are natural sponges for carbon.’
Any fears the programme could be perceived as science fiction are quickly dispelled by O’Brien.
‘This isn’t Star Trek; we aren’t all wearing tinfoil. It is quite serious, but it also is a bit of fun and a bit of craic.
‘The issue with climate change is it’s seen as hypothetical and abstract and that makes it very difficult to relate to.
‘But this format makes it feel more tangible and make the issue feel real for today’s audience.’