OFF-AIRS OF THE STATION..
What happened to other big names who left broadcaster
DOIREANN Garrihy shocked 2FM colleagues and radio listeners this week when she revealed she was leaving RTE.
The broadcasting star from Dublin’s Castleknock said she will now concentrate on her two podcasts, Doireann and Friends and The Laughs of Your Life.
Doireann (31) presented 2FM Breakfast with Donncha O’Callaghan and Carl Mullan for five years as well as two seasons of Dancing With The Stars.
She follows several high-profile hosts who left the station for pastures new.
Here, we look back on them – and see what happened since.
Hector O hEochagain hosted the hugely-popular Breakfast With Hector on RTÉ 2fm for three years before it was surprisingly axed in 2013.
Decision
At the time, he said: “The show is gone. Dan Healy made that decision and he has to live with it. The JNLRs speak for themselves.
“I can say categorically it wasn’t my decision to leave that radio show.
“It certainly wasn’t my decision as we were doing well, revenue-wise, and had the most popular show on 2FM for 18 to 35-years-olds.”
Hector (54) has since gone on to present the hit podcast Hector, Tommy and Laurita, with Tommy Tiernan and Laurita Blewitt.
It was a success for four years, but the trio announced its ending last month.
He has also presented world travel shows and documentaries for TG4. Lucy Kennedy and Baz Ashmawy co-presented the Saturday and Sunday morning slots on 2FM for two years until their show ended in 2012. Lucy (48) revealed she was “extremely sad and disappointed” to see the programme get the chop, but “no-one is untouchable.”
She went on to create and star in her own fly-on-the-wall show Living With Lucy on Virgin Media.
She co-hosts the Colm and Lucy Breakfast Show on Classic Hits with Colm Hayes and writes the best-selling children’s book series Friendship Fairies.
Baz (49) still works for RTE occasionally, presenting shows such as DIY SOS.
But it is his work outside the national broadcaster that has won the most accolades.
He received an Emmy for his hit Sky One show 50 Ways To Kill Your Mammy and now his new sitcom on Virgin, Faithless, has been lauded by critics.
Former TG4, TV3 (Now Virgin Media) and Sky Ireland newsreader Grainne Seoige joined the national broadcaster in 2006.
The Galway girl hosted everything from RTE afternoon show Seoige and O’Shea – with our own Joe O’Shea – to Up For The Match, Crimecall and The All Ireland Talent Show. However, she left the station in 2016, after a move to South
Africa
SHE’S A GEM: Grainne Seoige