How do you unwind at the weekend?
It’s been a tough news month and everything has been challenging since the start of the pandemic. Events were being cancelled and you had to keep up with all the changing rules. The last two weekends show how my life works; if I’m doing radio, I'm on air from 12 to 6am with a break for the newspaper review and so on. If it’s television, I have an early shift, from 2am. Next weekend is the first I’ll have had off for four or five weeks. I enjoy seeing one or two friends on a Friday night. I live in Hammersmith, London, in a flat share with two girls. Normally I like going to the gym and have only got back in the last two weeks. I got massively over-excited by that. The exercises I do include lots of rowing.
What do you recall most about weekends growing up?
The main thing when I was very young was going to my auntie Nina’s house. She lived near Belfast Zoo and had an old-fashioned place. We’d have a cup of tea from a teapot with a tea cosy on. And Nice biscuits, my favourite. My brother and sister, who are older, would run around. My father would disappear and watch the sport on TV. When I was a teenager I’d be playing hockey for my school, BRA.
Do you have a must-listen weekend radio show?
I listen to Q Radio or Cool FM. I started out at Citybeat and U105 and knew the late Stephen Clements, a lovely guy. I haven’t been home for months although I normally get to Belfast every couple of months. I miss the accents.
What’s your must-watch TV show/box set?
I’m old school and like episodes of Blackadder which takes you away from Covid-19 which has become all-encompassing. Even my mother talks about it when I phone her. I also like Family Guy, another programme that’s good when you need to switch off.
What is your favourite eatery – or is it a takeaway?
I like the pub grub at the nice little pubs near me on the Thames, places like The Dove and The Old Ship. I like any of the food on offer, things like pie and mash. But I’m more than happy to eat a KFC after work.
Is Sunday still special?
I don’t think so because I am either working on the night shift or on radio or recovering.
How so you feel on Sunday night about Monday morning?
Everyone has that horrible ‘I’ve not done my maths homework’ feeling, I think. My job is interesting but not always easy; for instance, one morning I did a five-minute interview with Theresa May and she didn’t really say anything at all. Media training makes all politicians very cautious.
