Keelin and Caitríona – new faces of Six One
NEWLY announced Six One host Caitríona Perry has praised RTÉ’s decision to appoint two women to front its flagship news bulletin as ‘brave and enlightened’.
The Washington Correspondent along with Crimecall host Keelin Shanley were yesterday unveiled as the new co-anchors of Six One, taking the reins in January.
Ms Perry said the all-female line up sends out a ‘fabulous’ message, but she stressed that she believes she and her cohost landed the gigs based on merit. ‘I think it’s great,’ she said, speaking at RTÉ studios yesterday. ‘I think it is in many ways a brave and enlightened choice by our boss here Jon Williams. Particularly given the debate that there has been in Ireland about gender bias and [how] certain other shows are very male dominated, or stations are male dominated.’
Ms Perry added: ‘We have both been around the block, we have both won lots of awards, we both have – I think – the respect of our peers.
‘We are known for our integrity and our straightness. So, I think – I wasn’t party to these discussions – when whoever in management was sitting around, they probably said, “Who are the best journalists for this job?”’
Ms Shanley, a mother-of-two, said the role had been under discussion for several weeks – with her name tipped in the Mail in August – but had only been formalised in recent days.
Former Six One host Bryan Dobson and Sharon Ní Bheoláin – who will make the move to the Nine O’Clock bulletin – were among the first to offer well wishes. Ms Perry, whose new book, In America, is set to be released today, said: ‘The first text I got was from Sharon, the one rapidly after that was from Bryan.’
She said theirs were ‘massive shoes to fill’ and plans to ask them for ‘any tips’.
The pair will take over as coanchors in January and have yet to decide who will sit on the left or right at Ireland’s most famous desk, but Ms Perry said they will be ‘equal presenters’.
Dobson will join the Morning Ireland team from next Wednesday. While Ms Ní Bheoláin will present the Nine O’Clock News on rotation with Eileen Dunne. She will also stay on as the presenter of Leaders’ Questions and will be the new presenter of Crimecall.
RTÉ journalist Ray Kennedy is hotly tipped to take over the Washington bureau. emmajane.hade@dailymail.ie
‘We have been around the block’