Gráinne Seoige

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Gráinne Seoige
Born (1973-11-05) 5 November 1973
An Spidéal, County Galway, Ireland
Nationality Irish
Occupation TV presenter
Agent Noel Kelly[1]
Notable credit(s) Seoige
People of the Year Awards
The All Ireland Talent Show
Up for the Match
Put 'Em Under Pressure Daybreak
Spouse(s) Stephen Cullinane
Children 1 (Conall Seoige)
Relatives Síle Seoige (sister)
Website
http://www.grainneseoige.co.uk

Gráinne Seoige (Irish pronunciation: [ˈɡɾˠaːnʲə ˈʃoːɟə], born 5 November 1973) is an Irish television presenter.[2][3][4]

Gráinne Seoige is one of the few television presenters who has worked for all terrestrial channels in the Republic of Ireland at some point. She has worked as a news anchor on TG4, TV3 and Sky News Ireland. Seoige has since joined RTÉ where she co-presented afternoon chat show Seoige for three years alongside her sister Síle. Other high-profile roles for the broadcaster have included presenting The All Ireland Talent Show, co-presenting Up for the Match and hosting television coverage of the People of the Year Awards. Seoige was 'Features Editor' on ITV's breakfast show Daybreak from 2010–11, and was the spokesperson for Ireland at the Eurovision Song Contest 2012.

Seoige is the only news anchor to have presented the inaugural news bulletins on two Irish terrestrial stations, TV3 and TG4, and she is the first television personality to have worked with all four Republic of Ireland television stations; TG4, TV3, RTÉ One and RTÉ Two.

Her name is pronounced "Grawn-ya Show-ig-eh".[5]

Education

Educated at Mercy Convent in her native Spiddal, Gráinne graduated with honours in English, Sociology and Political Science from University College Galway before completing a Higher Diploma in Applied Communications for Television and Radio, also at University College Galway (now known as National University of Ireland, Galway).

Broadcasting career

TG4/TV3

Seoige began her career on Halloween, 31 October 1996, with the launch of Teilifís na Gaeilge (now TG4) anchoring the 10pm news bulletin with Gillian Ní Cheallaigh.[6] She stayed there until 1998, when she moved to the then recently launched TV3 and presented TV3's 5:30pm News (also known as First Edition) and 6:30pm News with Alan Cantwell. Seoige also hosted News Tonight, as well as producing, writing and presenting news updates throughout the day. She was also the presenter of Ireland AM, Ireland's only breakfast programme..

Sky News

Seoige moved to Sky News Ireland and presented news there after unexpectedly resigning from TV3 by faxing her employer from Thailand on 15 January 2004, though her contract required her to serve an extra two months.[7] In February 2006, she began presenting overnight bulletins on Sky News (which is often called the "graveyard shift" because of the low amount of viewers it gets). From the end of the week beginning 6 February, she presented Sky News Today from 9am to 12pm, filling in for the regular presenters (including Martin Stanford who presented Live at Five for a while during Jeremy Thompson's break from work), Anna Botting and Anna Jones.

RTÉ

In 2006, Seoige moved back to Ireland full-time and became a presenter with RTÉ. RTÉ announced her arrival on 5 May 2006 and she appeared on Tubridy Tonight the following night to discuss her move.[8]

As well as presenting the People of the Year Awards in 2008, she co-presented RTÉ's Up for the Match specials in September of the same year, alongside Des Cahill.[9] In September 2010, she returned to her role as host of the annual People of the Year Awards,[10][11] and the 2010 editions of Up for the Match.[12][13]

She presented the daily magazine show Seoige with her younger sister Síle. However, after only one season together, RTÉ dropped the show leaving both sisters "very shocked".[14][15] Seoige's axing was blamed on "financial necessity" by RTÉ.[16] The last episode was broadcast on 24 April 2009, the Friday after the Tuesday on which the axing had been both announced and revealed to the sisters.[17] The Irish Independent's Roddy O'Connor predicted the imminent demise of both sisters after the axe was wielded.[18]

In 2009 Seoige began presenting The All Ireland Talent Show on Sunday evenings. Her new role was announced by RTÉ on 6 November 2008.[19]

She presented Put 'Em Under Pressure and Gráinne Seoige's Modern Life in 2011.

She has a clause in her contract allowing her to work elsewhere when she is not presenting for RTÉ.[20]

She announced the points from Ireland at the 57th Eurovision Song Contest, held in Baku, Azerbaijan on 26 May 2012.

GMTV

In March 2010 Seoige reported on the Cheltenham Festival for British breakfast programme GMTV alongside Dan Lobb.[21][22] The following month Gráinne returned to GMTV to present the sports news while regular host Lobb was away.[23] Presenter John Stapleton was heard to mispronounce her name as "Granya Soudja".[5]

Her popularity led to suggestions she would co-present GMTV with Adrian Chiles.[24][25]

Daybreak

On 20 July 2010, Seoige was confirmed as Features Editor on ITV Breakfast's new morning programme Daybreak from September 2010,.[26][27] where she was also an occasional stand-in presenter for Christine Bleakley. She appeared on the show's opening day, interviewing people about green issues in the gardens of Prince Charles' Clarence House.[28] She has also reported from Delhi on preparation and welfare issues in the build-up to the 2010 Commonwealth Games.[29]

Regarding her image, Seoige admitted that "the ice queen thing" as she referred to it had not crossed the Irish Sea and that the show's male anchor Adrian Chiles was having some difficulty pronouncing her surname.[30]

On 29 July 2011, it was understood that Seoige had left Daybreak.[31]

BBC One

In November and December 2011 she presented on the BBC One series That's Britain.[32]

On 26 May 2012, Seoige was the spokesperson for Ireland at the Eurovision Song Contest 2012, which was eventually won by Loreen of Sweden.

Personal life

In 2002, Seoige married former colleague and long term partner Stephen Cullinane who worked as sports editor at TV3 News and founded production company Touchline Media Ireland.[4] She has a teenage son named Conall[4] (from a previous relationship) whom she protects from the media spotlight.[4][33]

On 1 June 2010, it was announced that Seoige and Cullinane had separated after an 11-year relationship.[34] She made her first public comments on the split several months later, calling it "a really tough time".[35] Despite physical similarities she is not related to TG4 presenter Róisín Ní Thomáin.[36] TV3 was reported to have paid her a wage of €40,000, whilst Sky News offered her a wage of €70,000.[7]

Interests

Gráinne is the Patron of the National Breast Cancer Research Institute (NBCRI) and in her spare time she follows Gaelic football, hurling and English Premier League soccer.[9]

Awards

In 2004, Seoige was a winner at the VIP Style Awards.

In 2010, she was nominated for the Oireachtas Media Award.[37]

References

  1. ↑ Cummiskey, Gavin (24 April 2010). "Gloves off". The Irish Times. Retrieved 24 April 2010. "Among others, [Bernard Dunne] is on to Noel Kelly of the celebrity management company, a stable Dunne shares with Ryan Tubridy, Gerry Ryan, Gráinne Seoige, Craig Doyle" 
  2. ↑ Horan, Niamh (26 April 2009). "It's 'only a matter of time' until Grainne reads the news on RTÉ". Sunday Independent. Retrieved 26 April 2009. "A number of RTÉ staff have spoken of the likelihood that the gaelgeoir will return to a more serious broadcasting role on the evening news." 
  3. ↑ McIntyre, Sarah (23 March 2010). "Interview with Gráinne Seoige". RTÉ. Retrieved 23 March 2010. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Caden, Sarah (6 September 2009). "Grainne Seoige: 'reports of my demise have been greatly exaggerated'". Sunday Independent. Retrieved 6 September 2009. ""I couldn't do what I did last year again," says Grainne, intermittently eating her lunch between shots for this piece, hair half up for the Audrey Hepburn pictures." 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "At 36, could Grainne still make it big on British TV?". Irish Independent. 1 May 2010. Retrieved 1 May 2010. 
  6. ↑ Nolan, Larissa (24 September 2006). "Nuacht a lae: Seoige goes back to TG4". Sunday Independent. Retrieved 24 September 2006. 
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Hegarty, Joanne (16 January 2004). "Dumped by fax . . . Grainne deals second body blow to ailing station". Irish Independent. Retrieved 16 January 2004. 
  8. ↑ "Presenter Gráinne Seoige set to join RTÉ". RTÉ. 5 May 2006. Retrieved 5 May 2006. 
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Seoige - Presenters RTÉ
  10. ↑ "People of the Year Awards on Saturday". RTÉ. 9 September 2010. Retrieved 9 September 2010. 
  11. ↑ Lavery, Don (12 September 2010). "Golfing hero among People of Year winners". Sunday Independent. Retrieved 12 September 2010. 
  12. ↑ Róisín Ingle (24 July 2010). "The Seoige must go on". Irish Times. Retrieved 26 October 2010. 
  13. ↑ "Up For The Match". RTÉ. Retrieved 26 October 2010. 
  14. ↑ "RTÉ announces end of Seoige show". RTÉ. 22 April 2009. Retrieved 22 April 2009. 
  15. ↑ Taylor, Richie and Bray, Allison (23 April 2009). "Family drama for shell-shocked Seoiges". Irish Independent. Retrieved 23 April 2009. 
  16. ↑ Minihan, Mary (22 April 2009). "RTÉ will not recommission 'Seoige' show". The Irish Times. Retrieved 22 April 2009. 
  17. ↑ Nolan, Lorna (25 April 2009). "I can see me working with Lorraine again, says tearful Grainne". Evening Herald. Retrieved 25 April 2009. 
  18. ↑ O'Connor, Roddy (25 April 2009). "Seoige sisters have far to fall after their meteoric RTÉ rise". Irish Independent. Retrieved 25 April 2009. 
  19. ↑ "Gráinne Seoige to present new talent show". RTÉ. 6 November 2008. Retrieved 6 November 2008. 
  20. ↑ "GMTV bosses eager to sign Grainne Seoige". STV. 2 May 2010. Retrieved 2 May 2010. 
  21. ↑ Hogan, Louise (19 April 2010). "Lady luck abandons us but Irish sweep fashion stakes". Irish Independent. Retrieved 19 April 2010. 
  22. ↑ LN (21 April 2010). "Grounded Grainne to turn on style for new racing gig with GMTV". Evening Herald. Retrieved 21 April 2010. 
  23. ↑ Finn, Melanie (27 April 2010). "Grainne's still our girl insists RTÉ, after she sparkles on GMTV". Evening Herald. Retrieved 27 April 2010. 
  24. ↑ "Gráinne Seoige set to host GMTV?". RTÉ. 28 April 2010. Retrieved 28 April 2010. 
  25. ↑ Simon, Michael (28 April 2010). "Grainne Seoige to present with Chiles?". Digital Spy. Retrieved 28 April 2010. 
  26. ↑ Daybreaking news! GMTV, 20 July 2010
  27. ↑ "Daybreak 'won't copy' The One Show". RTÉ. 9 September 2010. Retrieved 9 September 2010. 
  28. ↑ "Seoige's the only sunshine in this dreary Daybreak". Irish Independent. 7 September 2010. Retrieved 7 September 2010. 
  29. ↑ "Grainne Investigates". Daybreak. ITV. 8 September 2010. Retrieved 26 October 2010. 
  30. ↑ Hickey, Shane and Sweeney, Ken (10 September 2010). "Seoige's warmth melts ice queen image". Irish Independent. Retrieved 10 September 2010. 
  31. ↑ Nolan, Lucy (29 July 2011). "Will Grainne return to Daybreak as Christine's co-host?". Evening Herald (Independent News & Media). Retrieved 29 July 2011. 
  32. ↑ BBC (14 December 2011). "BBC One - That's Britain Episode Guide". BBC. Retrieved 14 December 2011. 
  33. ↑ Grainne opens up about her teenage son Free Online Library
  34. ↑ "Gráinne Seoige and husband separate". RTÉ. 1 June 2010. Retrieved 1 June 2010. 
  35. ↑ Horan, Niamh (5 September 2010). "It was a tough time, says Grainne as she finally opens up about split". Sunday Independent. Retrieved 5 September 2010. 
  36. ↑ Anderson, Aoife (6 September 2010). "TV's new Irish-speaking sultry brunette - just don't call her a Seoige". Evening Herald. Retrieved 6 September 2010. 
  37. ↑ Anderson, Aoife (26 April 2010). "Blathnaid up for first Gala Gael Star of Year". Evening Herald. Retrieved 26 April 2010. 
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