Culture That Made Me: Paula MacSweeney of Today FM picks her touchstones
In 2022, she began hosting the radio station's evening show, 7pm-10pm, Monday to Thursday. She also presents a Sunday night rock music show on Today FM. See: www.todayfm.com.
A Woman's Heart
I remember my mam bought A Woman's Heart. Every household had a copy of it in 1992. As a family, we used to hop in the car – eight of us going on holiday with my granddad, so nine of us in a car; you wouldn't be allowed to do it now – and we used to drive to France, children literally hanging out the windows. We had that album on tape. I remember listening to it constantly. I knew every word from those holidays. Even though it wasn't meant for a six-year-old girl, it had a real impact on me. I loved it. I rediscovered it on Spotify a couple of years ago, and it's just beautiful.
Take That
I was a huge Take That fan. My first ever album was Take That & Party. Santy brought it for me – that's how young I was. I was about seven. I absolutely loved it, and I loved Take That throughout the Nineties.
There was a Take That vs. Boyzone rivalry; I was always Take That. I loved the five-piece. Now that Robbie has left, and I think they're down to about three, I've kinda lost interest a little bit!
Ricky Gervais
Ricky Gervais.
I'm a huge Ricky Gervais fan. I know he's not for everyone. Some people find him too much. People love to give out about him online. With his observations, sometimes I even find myself going, 'He's gone too far, he's gone too far,' but I still love it because dark humour is something I find very funny. Comedy's gone a bit dull, so I love when Ricky Gervais goes for it. I love the way he uses satire to critique societal norms, politics, celebrity culture. Nobody is safe. He's witty. He's clever. I love him.
Britney Spears
As I grew a bit older, into my teenage years, I loved Britney Spears. She came out when I was about 13 so throughout my whole teenage years – like a lot of girls who were into pop at that age – I was obsessed with Britney. Because we didn't have social media at the time – and she was being absolutely harassed by paparazzi – I was one of those buying the magazines to see what she was up to. I owned every album. I knew every word. I love her.
Lily Allen
I'm an enormous Lily Allen fan. I've loved her since 2004-2005 – when she was young and very new. She hasn't released music since 2018. It's been quite a while, and she only has four albums. I went to see her when she was on at Electric Picnic in 2014. I'll never forget it. She was on early in the day. It was Sunday, maybe about 6pm, so it was bright. I was waiting for her set all year. I was so excited to go and see her. She was promoting her album, Sheezus, which probably is her worst album. I'll never forget standing there with a cup of warm beer, in a field, it had been raining, and I felt the happiest I'd ever been. I'd finally got to see her live on stage, and it was magnificent.
Gavin & Stacey
Gavin & Stacey.
I'm very passionate about Gavin & Stacey. The word play in it is clever. James Corden and Ruth Jones are phenomenal writers. The characters are so clever, so well-developed. I love the character arc as well from when they started 20 years ago to that amazing Christmas special finish. Their finale made my Christmas. Every line was perfect. It's like a warm hug on the TV. It's my go-to whenever I need a little pick-me-up. It's gorgeous TV.
The Sopranos
My favourite TV box set of all time is The Sopranos. It's perfect – the characters, the storylines are amazing. There are unexpected twists. Nobody was safe in that show. It explores the American dream, and what it takes to obtain that. There's nuanced exploration of stuff like identity, loyalty, the human condition. Tony Soprano is so multidimensional. He's flawed. He's brilliant. He's funny. I've probably watched it from start to finish at least 10 times in my life. Every time I watch it, I find something new that I hadn't seen or heard before. It's so entertaining.
The Pillars of the Earth
The best book I've read is Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth. He's an extraordinary writer. It's set in the twelfth century, in England during a time of political turmoil, religious strife, and the construction of a magnificent cathedral. He travelled around Europe years before writing his book to understand architecture and how these cathedrals were built. That side of the book is very detailed. Even though I didn't find that bit particularly interesting, it's so powerful. The drama is gripping. It has complex characters. It's a rich tapestry of human experience, with insight into human ambition, and the power of the church. It's brilliant historical fiction. The book had a profound effect on me. I remember finishing it thinking I want to restart it.
Ian Dempsey
Ian Dempsey.
I loved Ian Dempsey on RTÉ 2fm. I remember, in my teens, the moment when Today FM announced, 'Look who we've poached for breakfast' and he moved to Today FM. It was such a big deal. It was huge news. Everybody was talking about it. I was a huge fan. All I ever wanted to do was work with Ian Dempsey. It was a life goal. It's funny because we've worked together now for, like, 13-14 years. He's the greatest of the greatest, and he's only getting better. There's no slowing down.
Then She Was Gone
I read seven Lisa Jewell books in a month about six months ago because of this book of hers, Then She Was Gone. Some of her books are better than others. Then She Was Gone is full of suspense and mystery. I couldn't put it down. It is sad, I have to say. It's a hard read at some points – because some of the best things are – but it's brilliant. The book has it all. It has amazing twists, a real page turner.
The Baby Tribe
I have three children aged six, four, and two. I've come out of my era of listening constantly to parenting podcasts, but The Baby Tribe is a podcast I listened to religiously for about two years. It's hosted by Professor Afif El-Khuffash, a neonatologist in the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin, and his wife, Dr Anne Doherty, who is an anaesthesiologist. It's evidence-based fun, and ways to learn about stuff. There's no opinion. It's all 'according to research', which is so reassuring. They have some good guests on it as well. It's very good.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Irish Sun
2 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Ibiza Final Boss Jack Kay launches music career and bid for number one after it's revealed he's in talks for Big Brother
IBIZA Final Boss Jack Kay's fame is shooting to new heights as the Geordie lad launches a music career. With a bid for number one after it was revealed he is in talks for Big Brother, Jack Kay, 26, is featured in a brand new dance track released on Spotify - and his fans are already loving it. 5 The Ibiza Final Boss - Jack Kay - has launched a music career Credit: instagram/@ 5 He shot to fame after an Ibiza clothing brand shared a video of him dancing Credit: Pixel8000 5 Jack's unique look captured the attention of a flock of fans Credit: Pixel8000 Shooting to fame on social media when an Ibiza clothing brand shared a video of him dancing, the Newcastle-based lad is now a recognisable face. Social media users instantly loved Jack's unique look with his bold haircut and gold jewellery. He was quickly branded as the "Ibiza Final Boss" and hasn't looked back since - embracing it entirely. "Final boss" is a joke from the gaming world used to suggest someone is the ultimate version of a particular stereotype. After a flurry of internet attention, the Final Boss dramatically revealed himself in an interview with The Ibiza Times. "I am the Ibiza final boss. Jack Kay. Get to know," he said. The words Jack spoke now feature in a brand new song. Jack has teamed up with Carnao Beats to release a track called Ibiza Final Boss. The song is bouncy and upbeat, making it perfect for clubbing or dancing in Ibiza. Fans have already gone wild over the new track. Ibiza 'Final Boss' parties at £9million mansion in Ibiza with bikini girls "Don't know how this happened but sounds great," said one person, reacting to the tune on social media. "This is absolutely brilliant. It's nice to see an ordinary bloke have a bit of luck! "Make the most of it and wish you all the best of luck with your journey," penned a second. "So sick," added a third. "Actually a banger this track," wrote a fourth. "Tunes a banger," said a fifth. This comes after Jack's viral fame caught the eye of ITV2's Big Brother casting team. This then led to conversations about him joining the upcoming series. A source told The Sun recently: 'The Ibiza Final Boss has really captured the nation's imagination and is exactly the kind of character that makes for a fun Big Brother housemate. "Bosses had talks with his management, it is very late in the casting process for housemates but everyone thought worth a chat whether it be in time for this series, even as part of a task, or for the future. 'Jack's reps Neon Management have been inundated with offers for him so he's certainly going to be busy for at least the next few months. 'They've seen an unprecedented level of interest in him, and that's the nation loves him.' This also comes off the back of the lad revealing he was going on a nightclub tour to cash in on his fame. 5 He shot to fame thanks to his unique haircut Credit: Pixel8000
Irish Independent
3 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Wexford GAA give club players weekend off for Electric Picnic
Wexford GAA have taken the unprecedented step of calling a gap week in club championship action at the end of this month, which coincides with the staging of the hugely popular Electric Picnic music festival.
RTÉ News
15 hours ago
- RTÉ News
We Love Books: Hear how Aoife Dooley's autism empowers her and her readers
On this month's We Love Books Podcast, award-winning author, illustrator and comedian Aoife Dooley is in the house to talk about the inspiration behind her new book Squid Squad - her autism diagnosis at the age of 27- and to share what it's been like to have found so much success by opening up and being vulnerable. Subscribe to We Love Books on RTÉ, Apple or Spotify - listen up top now! Readers will recognise Aoife's style immediately as bold, colourful and with more than a touch of humour. She has added so much fun and excitement to the world of the young reader but what was her experience with books like as a child? Aoife explains: "When I was a kid, it was very hard to get me to concentrate on reading, especially novels. If I opened up a novel, I'd read a couple of pages and literally the words would just go in one ear and out the other and I could never take it in." Enter the graphic novel and everything changes for Aoife. Once she was introduced to the likes of comic strips and Calvin and Hobbes, the visual aspect completely pulled her into the wonderful world of books and she was so hooked that she even became a graphic novelist herself, joining the ranks of beloved Irish authors making a lasting difference to kids' lives. Aoife is a prolific and accomplished author, but which of her books means the most to her so far? "I think it would probably have to be Frankie's World because it's a personal story, loosely based on my own life. Frankie's World basically is a story about a girl called Frankie and she doesn't know why she feels so different to everyone else in her class. She kind of starts to think that she's an alien. This is loosely based on my own story of basically finding out that I'm autistic but I found but much later in life at 27 and she finds out a bit younger. It's kind of just the story of figuring out who you are and accepting who you are and being happy in your own skin. It's a story of acceptance and friendship." So, what changed for Aoife when she received her own diagnosis? "It wasn't all that much of a shock because I kind of felt my whole life that something was different. Finding out was such a relief. A lot of people think that it's a label and it isn't, you're finding out who you are. You're able to have the tools to understand how you work. Sometimes I might get tired and I might need a break and I might just need some space to myself and without realising that you're autistic and if you just do these things, sometimes people might think you're weird or they might think you're lazy and it really brings it home that this is how my body works and I've been trying to protect myself. "It's really changed my life finding out and I never thought that writing something like Frankie's World and being vulnerable in my own experiences growing up and being bullied and how I felt would relate so much to kids now. Sometimes it's worth figuring things out because you don't know how it could help other people." Aoife is keen to keep writing in this space in the future and to keep representing, creating fun and engaging resources for others to understand this experience and to keep connecting with kids who have found such a great pal in Frankie. For her new book though, Squid Squad, Aoife dives into the great unknown of the hidden world of our oceans with her own colourful flair. "I love random facts and I like random facts about the sea and I thought this would be really fun because I could use actual facts from real sea creatures but also create my own so there's kind of half real deep sea creatures in this book and the other half I've completely made up." So, what can readers expect - "A lot of mischief!" Join Aoife on We Love Books to hear more about her experiences of empowering herself and others through her autism diagnosis, her latest book and of course her top writing tips for kids who'd love to create their own graphic novels.
