Meet the Twomeys
Patrick Twomey (56) from Co Kildare and his family are a busy household with bad habits. In the first episode of the new series, we see how their diet and lifestyle choices are affecting their health. Patrick is an ex-world champion kickboxer. He and his wife Paula have three daughters: Ava (20), who has a history of bulimia and self-harm and has recently gained three stone. Her sister Regan, (18), is an ex-model and has an issue with anxiety as a result of her social media use, while the youngest Ella (13), loves a spice bag almost as much as she loves sport.
“It was my eldest daughter Ava who applied,” says Patrick. “We were apprehensive at first but we wanted to do it for her. It probably saved my life, because they found a number of growths after a colonoscopy, and I probably wouldn’t have known I had them. When Dr Nina came to the house to examine us, I mentioned in passing that I had been passing blood. It wasn’t every day, so I wasn’t even going to bring it up. She asked if she could examine me, but I was a bit embarrassed. She was so glamorous and it was right there in my living room, so I asked her if we could do it in a hospital environment. But that’s what the problem is, so many men are embarrassed to even contemplate going for an examination. It totally opens your eyes because I’ve been minding myself since.
“It really shocked me when Regan revealed she suffered from anxiety. She was the one we thought was super confident. She was a model with Assets, so we never would have thought it. She never really asked for help and it was difficult for us to see the signs because she kept it to herself, which I felt really bad about. Parents take their eye off the ball because they’re working non-stop to pay the bills, and I’d be the perfect example of that. “I was always a soft touch with the girls. I still am when it comes to them having their hand out, but I draw the line now when it comes to eating rubbish – our house has changed big time. I lost two stone, Ava is in WeightWatchers and Ella had Kildare football trials recently. We’ve definitely become closer as a result of the show and we go out a lot more together. At the end of the day, your health is your wealth. You can’t take it with you!”