| Evelyn O'Rourke | |
|---|---|
| Born | Dublin, Ireland |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Education | Drama and English |
| Alma mater | Trinity College, Dublin (1990 – 1994) |
| Occupation | Roving reporter[1] |
| Employer | RTÉ (1998 – present) |
| Known for | Leaving Certificate advice, weight-loss advice, being a "cheerleader" |
| Spouse | John McMahon |
| Children | Oisin Brian McMahon |
Evelyn O'Rourke is an Irish radio researcher,[1] roving reporter,[1] presenter[1] and television personality employed by RTÉ and from Dublin.
O'Rourke joined RTÉ in 1998 and featured as a researcher on The Gay Byrne Show and The Arts Show on RTÉ Radio 1 before moving on to become roving reporter on Today with Pat Kenny on RTÉ Radio 1 and The Gerry Ryan Show on RTÉ 2fm. She has served as a surrogate presenter on several radio programmes, including Drivetime (on which she was once a contender for the position of permanent presenter),[2] Liveline and Morning Ireland on RTÉ Radio 1 as well as her annual Countdown to [insert date of commencement] series on RTÉ 2fm on which she offers advice to Leaving Certificate students.[3][4]
She still features regularly on The Gerry Ryan Show where she is described as a "roving reporter". O'Rourke provides daily updates on the annual Irish weight-loss special Operation Transformation for The Gerry Ryan Show and presents the show's weekly television broadcast on RTÉ One. Other television work includes acting as a judge on TV talent shows Glas Vegas and The All Ireland Talent Show.
An Irish Independent study found O'Rourke was responsible for more than half of all complaints made to Liveline from January – June 2007, whilst she stood in for Joe Duffy for a few shows in February of that year.[5] All the complaints against her were upheld, all of Duffy's were not.[6]
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O'Rourke was born in Dublin. She attended Coláiste Iosagáin on Dublin's Southside. Having completed her school studies she attended Trinity College, Dublin to study Drama and English from 1990 – 1994. After this she moved to the West of Ireland to work in film and television. In 1998 O'Rourke joined RTÉ Radio, working with the veteran broadcaster Gay Byrne during his final season on radio. She was then transferred to The Arts Show with Mike Murphy, and later to Today with Pat Kenny where she was employed as a reporter. Following a brief spell in television, O'Rourke returned to radio as Ryan Tubridy's first "newspaper lady" on the now-defunct RTÉ 2fm breakfast show The Full Irish. In September 2002, she began reporting for The Gerry Ryan Show where she remains to this day.[7]
O'Rourke began working for RTÉ in 1998 as a researcher on The Gay Byrne Show just before it ended.[8] Her next job was on The Arts Show, this soon ended as well.[8] She then joined Today with Pat Kenny as a reporter at which she was more successful.[8] She was then promoted to the position of The Gerry Ryan Show's roving reporter over on RTÉ 2fm.[8]
O'Rourke now works as a full time roving reporter for The Gerry Ryan Show on RTÉ 2fm. She has complained about poor street signage in the Dublin area which has disrupted her job.[9]
She presented a tribute show to Gerry Ryan the day after his death in 2010, her first show since having a baby.[10]
O'Rourke took on the role of radio reporter and television presenter for the RTÉ cross-media event Operation Transformation in 2008. She performs the role of "cheerleader" to her companion Gerry Ryan's "ringmaster".[11] In February 2009, she defended criticism of the show by referring to her loss of 2.5 stone two years previously.[12] She was also helpful in the choosing of the 2010 participants despite her first pregnancy and childbirth occurring around this time.[13] Her intention was to use that show to lose her post-pregnancy weight.[13]
Whilst presenting the phone-in show Liveline as a stand-in host for regular presenter Joe Duffy in February 2007, O'Rourke hosted a debate on gay adoption. The debate featured heated discussions with journalist Hermann Kelly following the publication of an article he had written in the Irish Mail on Sunday in which he had criticised the notion of gays and lesbians adopting children. Following the debate a number of listeners complained about O'Rourke's conduct, alleging that she had cut Kelly off, interrupted him on occasions and left him to defend his position against hostile callers. A listener named Mary Moriarty told the Broadcasting Complaints Commission (BCC) that callers had made slanderous remarks on Kelly several times and had not been asked for an apology or retraction of their statements.[14] O'Rourke unwittingly revealed her support for gay adoption by accidentally referring to the pro-gay adoption callers as "we" when discussing the matter. The BCC decided that the show had not been impartial and that O'Rourke's line of questioning had been "unfair".[15] Journalist Eoin McMahon criticised O'Rourke in an opinion column in the conservative Irish Independent:
If a journalist or pro-homosexual activist writes an article promoting homosexual rights, three guesses whether Liveline would devote an entire programme rubbishing the article, with the presenter coaxing and cajoling irate callers to put the boot in. The silenced majority: they haven't gone away you know.[16]
In 2009, O'Rourke began presenting Girl Talk on RTÉ Choice each Saturday morning at 10:30.[9] Girl Talk consisted of a series of pre-recorded interviews (O'Rourke was about to give birth for the first time when they were broadcast) with celebrities such as Amanda Brunker, Jennifer Maguire, Geri Maye and Colelemia Murphy.[1] Writing in The Irish Times after listening, Quentin Fottrell described Girl Talk as "an all-woman coffee klatch along the lines of TV3’s Midday, but without structure or a proper moderator, though it does have one of the same guests as the TV3 version".[17]
Amongst her other television appearances are Seoige, The Cafe and The Lucy Kennedy Show.
O'Rourke appeared on The Panel on 29 January 2009.
O'Rourke was a judge on the January 10 edition of series two of The All Ireland Talent Show after Shane Lynch's flight from London was cancelled, despite having given birth to her first son just six weeks earlier.[13] She also served as an advisor to Shane Lynch on The All Ireland Talent Show.[18]
She is also a judge on TG4 variety show Glas Vegas.[19]
O'Rourke is married to John McMahon (b. 10 December),[20] a RTÉ producer[1] whom she met when he was producer of The Full Irish. She and Gerry Ryan frequently mention him in conversation on air. O'Rourke holidays in West Kerry each year with her family and friends.[9]
On December 2, 2009, she gave birth to her first son, Oisin Brian McMahon, weighing 7 lb 3oz.[13] She disliked people commenting on her pregnant figure.[9]
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