Marty: I’d like to have a say on my exit date from airwaves
MARTY Whelan says he hopes that when he leaves RTÉ, he will have a say as to when he goes.
The 67-year-old also responded to praise for his show from actress Sarah Jessica Parker, saying that she has ‘great taste’.
Whelan, who admitted he struggled to work during the RTÉ payment controversy, said he doesn’t know when his time with the State broadcaster’s Lyric FM will end.
He said: ‘The time will come and I hope the decision will be mutual. But you never know when that will feel like the right thing to do when you’re enjoying it and it’s still working.’ Whelan also revealed he was thrilled to hear Sex And The City actress Ms Parker, 59, is a fan of his Lyric FM show. The US star is known to holiday in Donegal with her actor husband Matthew Broderick, 62, and their three children.
Ms Parker, who is currently filming the latest series of Sex And The City follow-up And Just Like That..., has repeatedly praised Lyric FM on her social media accounts, promoting it to her nine million followers online.
Whelan said: ‘She’s got such great taste. It’s hilarious, I never thought I’d be saying Sex And The City and Lyric FM in the same sentence.’
He also dismissed suggestions Lyric FM might be sold off.
‘It’s a strong station and the listenership is increasing all the time. Sarah Jessica Parker just needs to tell a few more of her Hollywood friends,’ he joked.
He told RSVP he has a strict regime to be able to present his Marty In The Morning programme.
The father-of-two gets up at 4.30am five mornings a week to be behind the mic at 7am. But to be able to cope with the gruelling hours, he revealed he likes to take ‘a nana nap’ in the afternoon.
‘I need to make sure I’ve energy at the end of the day to do other things, which I do. You have to have a regime,’ he said. ‘Having a nana nap is never a bad idea, even if it’s just 45 minutes at 2pm.’
The popular presenter continued: ‘I don’t care who you are, you can’t be up at 4.30am every day and then at 10pm sit down to watch TV. Something has to give, no matter what age you are.’