RTE in 6-month TV shake-up with The Traitors debut, 3 new Ireland's Fittest Family coaches & fresh Dermot Bannon show
ON THE BOX RTE in 6-month TV shake-up with The Traitors debut, 3 new Ireland's Fittest Family coaches & fresh Dermot Bannon show
RTE has launched its new six-month schedule which it says is an 'unbeatable mix of quality programmes'.
The autumn to spring content season kicks off next weekend with the opening show of The Traitors Ireland, a local version of the global phenomenon.
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Siobhan McSweeney will host The Traitors
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The show is a tense psychological adventure competition where strangers complete a series of challenges
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Stuart Carolan is back with brand-new darkly comedic drama Tall Tales & Murder
Filmed in Slane Castle, Derry Girls actress Siobhan McSweeney will be overseeing the chaos, suspicion and skulduggery as 24 hopefuls work with and against one another to add more money to the potential prize pot of €50,000.
There'll be an opportunity for the banished or murdered players to discuss their misfortune in the accompanying show, The Traitors Ireland Uncloaked, which is hosted by comedian Kevin McGahern and features bonus unseen footage.
Meanwhile, a revamped Ireland's Fittest Family will see swimmer Ellen Keane, ex-GAA ace Michael Darragh MacAuley and former rugby international Andrew Trimble added to the show.
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They will coach families and go up against veteran coaches Davy Fitzgerald, Anna Geary and Donncha O'Callaghan and their super-fit contestants in a new series, with Laura Fox presenting.
Friday nights will see Patrick Kielty back hosting The Late Late Show from September 12.
But the biggest show of the season remains the Toy Show, which reached 1.6million homes in Ireland in 2024 and had 622,000 streams in 139 countries.
The 2 Johnnies are back for a third season of Late Night Lock In, bringing craic agus ceoil from Johnny B and Johnny Smacks.
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Tommy Tiernan also returns with the tenth season of his unconventional chat show of top-secret guests next January.
Sunday night ratings winner Keys to my Life, hosted by Brendan Courtney, will see Jim Sheridan, Gloria Hunniford, Donal Óg Cusack, Ronan Collins, Niamh Kavanagh, Tom Dunne, Sandy Kelly and Tony Holohan revisit the homes that shaped their lives.
There'll be well-known faces appearing in The End of the World with Beanz, in which comedian and theatre maker Martin Beanz Warde takes stars like Samantha Mumba, out of their comfort zones and into the unknown.
RTE star Carl Mullan left in shock as Irish country singer surprises Rose of Tralee audience
Architect Dermot Bannon will be going inside the homes of celebs including Joanne McNally and Clodagh McKenna with his new show Celebrity Super Spaces.
The TV presenter will also be back in a new season of Room to Improve in which he battles rising building costs and tight budgets as he undertakes four exciting new builds around Ireland.
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DIY SOS: The Big Build Ireland, fronted by Baz Ashmawy, takes on challenges in Mooncoin, Kilkenny, Clarecastle, Clare, Tallaght, Dublin and Wicklow Town.
While in Home Rescue: The Big Fix, designer Dee Coleman, builder Pete Finn, and declutter expert Aidan Gately are on hand to help people improve their homes on a tight budget.
Cheap Irish Homes with Maggie Molloy travels the highways and byways of Ireland, helping people find their ideal property.
RTE also say their new schedule boasts an unprecedented slate of Irish drama series, in collaboration with the independent production sector.
These include brand new drama The Walsh Sisters, starring Danielle Galligan, Louisa Harland, Caroline Menton, Aidan Quinn and Carrie Crowley in an adaptation by Stefanie Preissner and Kefi Chadwick of Marian Keyes' books Rachel's Holiday and Anybody Out There.
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SPORT IS BACK
Sport on the box includes host Jacqui Hurley leading RTE's coverage of the Women's Rugby World Cup 2025.
There's more rugby to come with the Autumn Nations Series when Ireland's men will host Japan, Australia and world champions South Africa at the Aviva Stadium, with all games live on RTE2 and RTE Player.
And the UEFA Champions League returns for the 2025/26 Season, with live Wednesday night games.
Speaking about the new season, Steve Carson, RTE Director of Video, said: 'The coming months on RTE sees an unbeatable mix of quality Irish programmes with something for everyone, from The Traitors and the Women's Rugby World Cup to the joy of seeing Marian Keyes' much-loved Walsh Sisters come to life on our screens.
'We're incredibly grateful to all of our partners in the independent sector and the teams in RTE who continue in their mission to deliver quality Irish content for Irish audiences and enable us to deliver such a distinctive slate of programming.'
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NEW DRAMAS AND DOCS
Audiences once terrified by Nidge can expect laughs instead when former Love/Hate actor Tom Vaughan-Lawlor stars in new comedy drama These Sacred Vows.
While Love/Hate creator Stuart Carolan returns with brand-new darkly comedic drama Tall Tales & Murder.
The return of drama Hidden Assets, sees investigative reporter Olatz Alzola and her family are attacked by a lone gunman in Bilbao, and only her young daughter survives.
There'll be plenty of documentaries on RTE too, including the return of axed TV chat show host Brendan O'Connor to TV screens in The Employables, a new three-part series following the experiences of six jobseekers with disabilities seeking to fulfil their full potential.
Another documentary, The Ryanair Story, vows to venture behind the scenes at one of the world's most successful airlines.
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Meanwhile, there will be high-stakes drama in Fair City next month when Erica and Doug say 'I do' in what promises to be one of Carrigstown's most unforgettable weddings.
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Fair City returns with one of Carrigtown's most unforgettable weddings
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The Late Late Show returns with Patrick Kielty
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RTE's brand new drama The Walsh Sisters
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DIY SOS: The Big Build Ireland, fronted by Baz Ashmawy, returns for another season
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The Irish Sun
an hour ago
- The Irish Sun
I just knew one day people would finally get Nick Drake, says legendary producer Joe Boyd
Drake died aged 26 in 1974 from an overdose of antidepressants, never enjoying commercial success in his lifetime, never knowing how much he would be appreciated. TROUBLED SOUL I just knew one day people would finally get Nick Drake, says legendary producer Joe Boyd 'I REMEMBER the moment I first saw Nick. He was very tall – but kind of apologetically tall.' Legendary producer Joe Boyd is casting his mind back to January 1968, to the day 'very good-looking but very self-effacing' Nick Drake dropped a tape off at his London office. 5 Nick Drake died aged 26 in 1974, never enjoying commercial success in his lifetime Credit: Getty - Contributor 'He stooped a bit, like he was trying not to seem as tall as he was. Advertisement 'It was wintertime and there were ash stains on his overcoat. He handed me the tape and trundled off. 'My first encounter with Nick's music was, most likely, that same evening or possibly the following one.' Boyd, an American who became a central figure in the late Sixties British folk-rock boom, was 25 at the time. Drake was 19. He cut a striking figure — lanky with dark shoulder-length hair framing his boyish features. Advertisement Through his company, Witchseason Productions, Boyd came to helm stellar albums by Fairport Convention (with Sandy Denny), John Martyn, Shirley Collins and The Incredible String Band. But there was something indefinably mesmerising about those three songs passed to him by the quiet teenager who studied English Literature at Cambridge University. As Boyd switched on his 'little Wollensak reel-to-reel tape recorder', he was captivated by Drake's soft but sure tones, allied to his intricate fingerpicking guitar. 'I think the songs were I Was Made To Love Magic, Time Has Told Me and The Thoughts Of Mary Jane,' he says. 'From the first intro to the first song, I thought, 'Whoa, this is different'.' I'm speaking to Boyd to mark the release of a beautifully curated box set, The Making Of Five Leaves Left, a treasure trove of demos, outtakes and live recordings. Advertisement Rounding it off is the finished product, Drake's debut album for Chris Blackwell's fabled Island Records pink label. Bob Dylan biopic is an immaculate portrayal of the grumpy singer's rise to fame - shame his women feel like complete unknowns In 2025, the singer's status as one of Britain's most cherished songwriters is assured. A troubled soul, Drake died aged 26 in 1974 from an overdose of antidepressants, never enjoying commercial success in his lifetime, never knowing how much he would be appreciated. But Boyd, now 83, had no doubts about the rare talent that he first encountered in 1968. He picks up the story again: 'Ashley Hutchings, the Fairport Convention bass player, saw Nick playing at The Roundhouse [in Camden Town, North London] and was very impressed. Advertisement 'He handed me a slip of paper with a phone number on it and said, 'I think you'd better call this guy, he's special'. 'So I called and Nick picked up the phone. I said, 'Do you have a tape I could hear?'. He said, 'Yes'.' Boyd still didn't hold out too much hope, as he explains: 'I was very much a blues and jazz buff. I also liked Indian music. 'White middle-class guys with guitars were never that interesting to me — Bob Dylan being the exception that proves the rule. 5 John Boyd holding The Making Of Five Leaves Left, a treasure trove of demos, outtakes and live recordings Advertisement 'But Nick was something else. He wasn't really a folk singer at all.' Boyd describes Drake as a 'chansonnier', a French term for a poet singer who performs their own compositions, often drawing on the themes of love and nature. He says: 'I'm always a bit bemused when I go into a record store — one of the few left — and see Nick filed under folk. He's unclassifiable and that's one of the reasons he endures.' To Boyd, Drake's enduring appeal is also helped 'by the fact that he didn't succeed in the Sixties'. 'He never became part of that decade's soundtrack in the way Donovan or [Pentangle guitarist and solo artist] Bert Jansch did. Advertisement 'So he was cut loose from the moorings of his era, to be grabbed by succeeding generations.' Drake was born on June 19, 1948, in Rangoon, Burma [now Myanmar], to engineer father Rodney and amateur singer mother Molly. His older sister Gabrielle became a successful screen actress. When Nick was three, the family moved to Far Leys, a house at Tanworth-in-Arden, Warks, and it was there that his parents encouraged him to learn piano and compose songs. I'm always a bit bemused when I go into a record store — one of the few left — and see Nick filed under folk. He's unclassifiable and that's one of the reasons he endures. Joe Boyd Having listened to the home recordings of Molly, Boyd gives her much credit for her son's singular approach. He says: 'When you hear the way she shaped her strange chords on the piano and her sense of harmony, it seems that it was reverberating in Nick's mind.' Advertisement When Drake gave him those three demos, recorded in his room at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, Boyd 'called the next day and said, 'Come on in, let's talk'.' During the ensuing meeting, Drake said: 'I'd like to make a record.' He was offered a management, publishing and production contract. Just as importantly, he had found a mentor in Joe Boyd. What you hear on the box set is the musical journey leading up to the release of Five Leaves Left in July 1969. The set was sanctioned by the Estate Of Nick Drake, run on behalf of his sister Gabrielle by Cally Callomon, but only after two remarkable tapes were unearthed. Advertisement His first session with Boyd at Sound Techniques studio in March 1968 — found on a mono listening reel squirrelled away more than 50 years ago by Beverley Martyn, a singer and the late John Martyn's ex-wife. A full reel recorded at Caius College by Drake's Cambridge acquaintance Paul de Rivaz. It had gathered dust in the bottom of a drawer for decades. Boyd says: 'I have never been a big enthusiast for these endless sets of demos and outtakes — so I was highly sceptical about this project. 'But when my wife and I were sent the files a few months ago, we sat down one evening and listened through all four discs. 'I was tremendously moved by Nick. You can picture the scene of him arriving for the first time at Sound Techniques. 'This is what he's been working for. He's got his record deal and here he is in the studio. I was stunned.' 5 Five Leaves Left was released in 1969 Advertisement In pristine sound quality, the first disc begins with Boyd saying, 'OK, here we go, whatever it is, take one.' Drake then sings the outtake followed by some of his best-loved songs — Time Has Told Me, Saturday Sun, Day Is Done among them. It's just man and guitar, recorded before musicians such as Pentangle's double bass player Danny Thompson and Fairport Convention's guitarist Richard Thompson (no relation) were drafted in. Boyd continues: 'The trigger for those recordings, that first day in the studio, was wanting our wonderful engineer John Wood to get a feel for Nick's sound. 'Nick was wide awake and on it. He was excited about being in a studio and he wanted to impress.' Advertisement All these years later, one song in particular caught Boyd's attention — Day Is Done. 'He takes it more slowly than the final version. This gives him time to add more nuance and the singing is so good.' Back then, as Five Leaves Left took shape, Boyd witnessed the sophisticated way Drake employed strings, oboe and flute. Inspired by subtle orchestrations on Leonard Cohen's debut album, Boyd had drafted in arranger Richard Hewson but it didn't work out. 'It was nice, but it wasn't Nick,' he affirms. Advertisement When Drake suggested his Cambridge friend Robert Kirby, a Baroque music scholar, everything fell into place. Boyd says: 'Nick had already been engaging with Robert about using a string quartet but had been hesitant about putting his ideas forward.' SUBTLE ORCHESTRATIONS The producer also recalls being 'fascinated by the lyrics — the work of a literate guy'. 'I don't want to sound elitist but Nick was well educated. British public school [Marlborough College] and he got into Cambridge. 'Gabrielle told me he didn't like the romantic poets much. But you feel that he's very aware of British poetry history.' Advertisement This is evident in the first lines of the opening song on Five Leaves Left — 'Time has told me/You're a rare, rare find/A troubled cure for a troubled mind.' 'When I think about Nick, I think about the painting, The Death Of Chatterton,' says Boyd. 'Chatterton was a young romantic British poet who died, I think, by suicide. You see him sprawled out across a bed.' I ask Boyd how aware he was of Drake's struggles with his mental health. 'It's a tricky question because I was aware that he was very shy,' he answers. 'Who knew what was going on with him and girls?' Boyd believes there was a time when Drake was better able to enjoy life's pleasures. Advertisement 'When you read of his adventures in the south of France and in Morocco, it seems he was more relaxed and joyful. 5 Drake at home with mother Molly and sister Gabrielle 'And when I went up to Cambridge to meet Nick and Robert Kirby before we did the first session, he was in a dorm. 'There were friends walking in and out of the room. There was a lot of life around him.' Boyd says things changed when 'Nick told me he wanted to leave Cambridge and move to London. Advertisement 'I agreed to give him a monthly stipend to help him survive. He rented a bedsit in Hampstead — you could do that in those days. 'Nick started smoking a lot of hashish and didn't seem to see many people. I definitely noticed a difference. 'He'd been at Marlborough, he'd been at Cambridge and suddenly he's on his own, smoking dope, practising the guitar, going out for a curry, coming back to the guitar some more. He became more and more isolated and closed off'. Boyd describes how Drake found live performance an almost unbearable challenge. He says: 'He had different tunings for every song, which took a long time. He didn't have jokes. So he'd lose his audience and get discouraged.' Advertisement 'It still haunts me that I left the UK' For Drake's next album, Bryter Layter, recorded in 1970 and released in 1971, Boyd remained in charge of production. Despite all the albums he's worked on, including REM's Fables Of The Reconstruction and Kate and Anna McGarrigle's classic debut, he lists Bryter Layter as a clear favourite. It bears the poetic masterpiece Northern Sky with its heartrending opening line – 'I never felt magic crazy as this.' Boyd says: 'I can drop the needle and relax, knowing that John Wood and I did the best we could.' However, he adds that it still 'haunts me that I left for a job with Warner Bros in California after that. I was very burnt out and didn't appreciate how much Nick may have been affected by my leaving'. Advertisement Drake responded to Boyd's departure by saying, 'The next record is just for guitar and voice, anyway'. Boyd continues: 'So I said, 'Well, you don't need me any more. You can do that with John Wood'.' When he was sent a test pressing of 1972's stripped-back Pink Moon, he recalls being 'slightly horrified'. 'I thought it would end Nick's chances of commercial success. It's ironic that it now sells more than his other two.' Then, roughly a year after leaving the UK, Boyd got a worried call from Drake's mum. 'Molly said she had urged Nick to see a psychiatrist because he had been struggling,' he says, with sadness, 'and that he had been prescribed antidepressants. Advertisement 'I know Nick was hesitant to take them. He felt people would judge him as crazy — a typically British response.' Boyd again uses the word 'haunting' when recalling the transatlantic phone call he made to Drake. 'I said, 'There's nothing shameful about taking medicine when you've got a problem'. I know Nick was hesitant to take them [antidepressants]. He felt people would judge him as crazy — a typically British response Joe Boyd 'But I think antidepressant dosages were way higher in those days than they became. 'Doctors didn't appreciate the rollercoaster effect — how you could get to a peak of elation and freedom, then suddenly plunge back into depression. Advertisement 'Who knows but it might have contributed to the feeling of despair Nick felt the night he took all those extra pills.' 5 Boyd says of Drake: 'He's unclassifiable and that's one of the reasons he endures' Drake died at home in Warwickshire during the early hours of November 25, 1974. As for Boyd, he made a lasting commitment to the singer who had such a profound effect on him. He says: 'When I left, I gave my company to Chris Blackwell because there were more debts than assets — and he agreed to take on the debts. 'But I said, 'I want it written in the contract that you cannot delete Nick Drake. Those records have to stay. Advertisement 'I just knew that one day people would get him.'
The Irish Sun
5 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Inside Coldplay's groundbreaking Wembley Stadium shows including energy-creating bikes as group prepare to make history
Fans can even ride energy-creating bikes to help fuel the show THEY are already making history with ten nights at Wembley Stadium for their residency. But when Coldplay take to the stage tonight, they will be setting another record, with the world's first ever stadium show fully powered by renewable energy. 3 Coldplay's Chris Martin, Guy Berryman, Jonny Bucklad and Will Champion have long been advocates of eco-friendly touring Credit: Anna Lee 3 The band, fronted by Chris Martin, have been on the road with their Music Of The Spheres Tour since March 2022 Credit: Getty Chris Martin, Guy Berryman, Jonny Bucklad and Will Champion have long been advocates of eco-friendly touring, but have stepped things up for their run of shows at the 90,000-capacity venue. To carry out the feat, they are fitting a kinetic dance floor and energy-creating bikes which fans can ride to help fuel the show. Each concertgoer is also given a LED wristband which lights up to the music during the show. And yep, you guessed it. That's also uber eco friendly. The wristband is made from plant-based, compostable materials and are refurbished and reused after every show. READ MORE ON COLDPLAY 'BEST THING EVER' Chris Martin reveals huge Brit pop star he's an unlikely superfan of Once the batteries can no-longer be used they are also recycled. A source said: 'Coldplay have gone all out to show that it is possible to be eco-friendly and tour the world. 'They are super proud of all the measures they have put in place to bring down their CO2 emissions and the fact Wembley will be powered by 100 per cent renewable energy is massive. 'It's a world first for a stadium show and they are paving the way for other artists.' Chris' hardline rules have seen a 59per cent reduction in CO2 emissions compared to the band's last tour in 2016. So far they have planted 10 million trees, with another three million due to be added to the Amazon to offset the unavoidable emissions on their Music Of The Spheres world tour. Chris Martin reveals huge Brit pop star he's an unlikely superfan of as Coldplay kick off UK tour Harnessing green power, the Wembley gigs will also use solar energy fed into the grid via Coldplay's new renewable energy and ecosystem restoration project. Higher Power Farm in the west of England, is home to a barn covered with a 111.6kWp solar panel array that will generate lots of clean energy annually — and probably even more this year thanks to the sunny summer we've been having. Even the helium in the band's inflatables is reusedand ten per cent of all the tour's net revenue is also being given away to good causes – including helping to clean up the world's oceans by removing plastic. Coldplay have been on the road with their Music Of The Spheres Tour since March 2022. By the time they take their final bow on September 8 at Wembley, they will have played 225 shows across five continents. I will be there with Bizarre's Jack thanks to the legends at EE, who are hosting us in their swanky suite. We can't wait to feel the love from Chris and the band.
The Irish Sun
5 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
I moved to Spain 4 years ago & will never be bored of it – I don't work & pick my kids up from school & go to the pool
Jodie revealed how people can also make the move to Spain LIFE'S A BEACH I moved to Spain 4 years ago & will never be bored of it – I don't work & pick my kids up from school & go to the pool A MUM has shared how her family ditched the UK to live in Spain four years ago and will 'never be bored' of her new life. Jodie Marlow, who shares clips of her new sunny lifestyle online, shared how she doesn't miss the rainy weather at all, and spends her days enjoying the sun. 5 UK mum Jodie Marlow has 17,000 followers who follow her new life in Spain Credit: Tiktok/JodieMarlow 5 Jodie picks her kids up from school at 1.30pm in summer and takes them straight to the pool Credit: Tiktok/JodieMarlow 5 Jodie said she will never get bored of her life in Spain Credit: Getty Jodie, who is a stay-at-home mum, said her two boys finish school at 1.30pm in summer and they spend afternoons playing in the pool. In a clip on her @jodiemar1ow account, which has over 1,790 likes, she said: 'Four years in & don't think I'll ever get bored of this.' She added that the weather is perfect for her, with temperatures in the top 20s or 30s every day. Jodie said: 'It's not too hot, not too cold. Like, I can wear my nice summer dresses, which I love.' When her kids are at school, she spends her time picking up fruit and veg at the local market, or going for a pamper, including laser hair surgery. She then does housework before picking up the boys and having some lunch with them. Meanwhile, weekends are spent exploring gorgeous nearby beaches and dining out in local restaurants. MOVING TO SPAIN Finally, Jodie advised people on how they can also make the move to Spain. She shared: 'If you hold a UK British passport, you can't just move to Spain like you could pre-Brexit, you do need a visa. 'The working visa you could look into getting dependent on if you've got a specialised job. I quit my job and did a complete 180 moving to Spain - beer is just $3 a pint and my life is so much better 'The self-employed visa, basically they said to us it's just impossible to get, so we didn't even try with that. 'But the digital nomad visa allows anyone that is working online, as long as you are earning a set amount of money that provides for if there's four of you for the family, you can pay for all four of you, and they set out exactly how much that would be.' Since Brexit, UK citizens, and non-EU citizens require a visa to stay longer than 90 days. 5 Jodie said the weather is usually perfect for her Credit: Getty SOCIAL REACTION Many people were quick to chime in and comment on her new life in Spain, and praise her for making the move. One said: 'It's beautiful there, my sister moved there 26 yrs ago, no regrets.' A second added: 'I don't think you could ever get bored of that lifestyle.' Meanwhile, and a third joked: 'You sure you wouldn't rather be stuck indoors looking out at the rain?' Jodie replied: 'deffo don't miss that side of the uk.' 5 Jodie advised getting a digital nomad visa if you want to make the move Credit: Alamy
