Doireann’s Big Night In seeks to be a ratings win
2FM host and Dermot Whelan team up for family-friendly comedy TV show
DOIREANN Garrihy and Dermot Whelan have teamed up for an RTÉ Christmas comic special which they hope will provide the nation with some much-needed cheer.
The Big Night In is ostensibly a ‘one-night only’ show tomorrow night (6.30pm RTE1) but the pair harbour hopes it could be the start of something big.
Dermot told the Irish Mail on Sunday: ‘I think when people see it, particularly the celebrity pranks, I think people will really warm to it.
‘It reminded me a little of The Republic of Telly; that cheekiness, that boldness. It feels like a brandnew show that hasn’t been seen on RTÉ before.’
This sentiment is echoed by Doireann, who describes it as familyfriendly fun for all.
‘I felt it had something of that beauty of shows like Dancing with The Stars where everyone can sit around and watch it. The kids get invested, your granny loves it... I felt the energy in the show and everyone can enjoy it and laugh out loud.’
Christmas TV is notoriously an allout ratings brawl, so The Big Night In getting the green light for a series run will ultimately rest with the viewing figures.
And ratings are foremost in the mind of 2FM presenter Doireann following last week’s published JNLR figures which confirmed her breakfast radio show suffered a significant drop of almost 30,000 listeners.
Doireann admits: ‘I would be lying if I said I am not affected by them or I am not worried about it when things don’t go your way.
‘But having people like Dermot around or the amount of people in the radio centre who will say “chin up, it ebbs and flows” or “it’s a brand new show” is great.’
The 29-year-old Dubliner presents the 2FM breakfast slot with rugby legend Donncha O’Callaghan and comedian Karl Mullen after her previous presenting partner Eoghan McDermott suddenly upped sticks and quit.
She attributes the drop in listeners to a myriad of hiccups, including the lack of commuters and teething problems with new presenting dynamics. She adds: ‘I think with breakfast radio, the audience we’re after, a lot of them are rolling out of bed at eight and at their desk for nine so we’re missing those listeners. But look, you have to look at it as a kick to be honest. I don’t think the commute is fully to blame .... But it’s a brand new show. It’s only six months and it needs time to bed in; and we will figure it out and do a bit of a reshuffle and change things up.’
She describes Donncha as a ‘great big bundle of love’, adding: ‘Sometimes he makes these jokes off air and we‘re like “say that on air” and he’s like “lads, I’ve four kids I cannot say that on air.” So, we’re trying to tease that stuff out of him. And Karl is so loveable..’
For radio veteran Dermot the ratings are an afterthought. ‘I’m nearly 20 years in radio if JNLRs were the
difference between sleeping at night or not sleeping I’d have never continued,’ he said.
‘Ultimately... you still have to turn up the next day in front of a microphone and bring your best. Sometimes your ratings will be up and sometimes they will be down and that’s just life. ’