78 On the couch. . . Mary-Claire Fitzpatrick AKA MC
MC is from Co Laois.
After studying law, she began making videos for her YouTube channel MCluvs2laugh. That led to the kids’ bedroom makeover show Ace My Space on TRTÉ. MC also hosts Martin’s Shed, at 9am, Monday to Friday, RTÉ 2
How much TV do you think you watch every week?
About an hour or two a day, so maybe 10 to 14 hours a week? (I might be rounding down…by about 20 hours.) I tend to binge-watch shows and then take a break for a while, so it depends what shows I’m hooked on in a given week!
Is there just too much good TV now to watch it all?
Honestly, choice paralysis is real! Before I commit to a new show, I could be scrolling and watching trailers for hours before I settle on something. More often than not, I’ll just end up re-watching The O ce, or old Vine compilations on YouTube.
What are the main differences between making TV and online content e.g. YouTube?
YouTube is just myself, in a room, talking to myself, trying to make myself laugh. When I write that down – it doesn’t sound great, does it!? TV is a completely di erent dynamic – you have directors, producers, writers and co-presenters to bounce ideas o and create something really collaborative. I got into TV because of my YouTube channel and it’s mad to think I went from vlogging on my bed to presenting in a shed!
All-time favourite TV drama, comedy, soap, documentary and live TV event?
Drama is Love/Hate. Laois representation with Robert Sheehan there, what’s not to love? (/hate) For comedy, I’d pick It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia. In soaps, I used to watch
Home & Away as a teenager – RIP The Braxtons. I love documentaries and while I’m really bad at committing to shows, I love true crime or real-life stories. There are too many to list, but the most recent ones I watched were Tiger King (wouldn’t be 2020 without it) and Three Identical Strangers. Live event has to be The Late Late Toy Show – we always have the Christmas tree up in time for it every year, even in mid-November!
What are your unmissable shows right now?
Right in the middle of Succession at the moment. I’m obsessed. There’s nothing like watching the dysfunctional inner workings of a multi-billion dollar media corporation to make you appreciate coming from a farm in Laois (unless dairy cows are comparable to cash cows, in which case my siblings and I need to talk…)
You, Darina Allen, Robert Sheehan and Bernard O’Shea are all from Co Laois – could this be the start of a ‘Laois Media Mafia’?
You forgot about our claim to Claire Byrne as well (a proud native of Mountrath): Midlands unLaoised!
Are there any genres of TV you just can’t abide?
Prank shows. Can’t deal with cringe comedy at all.
How does it feel to work next to a furry animal?
They say never work with animals… and I can see why. Ah no, despite Martin smashing things, randomly breaking into song and making the odd fart joke, he certainly keeps things interesting. I just wish he’d have a bath now and again.
Who’s your favourite comedian at the moment, and why?
I work with lots of Irish comedians on the TRY Channel on YouTube so it’s hard to choose just one, but I’ve had the pleasure of having a laugh alongside Justine Stafford, Lolsy Byrne, Martin Angelo and Bláithín de Burca to name a few.