Jennifer Zamparelli rules out taking over Liveline ahead of Joe Duffy's final show
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Ex-2FM star Jennifer Zamparelli has said she has "absolutely no interest" in taking over Liveline.
On Friday, RTE star Joe Duffy will retire from the national broadcaster after 37 years. He hosted Liveline for 27 years. RTE has yet to announce who will take over from Mr Duffy, but Jennifer is one of the many names that have been suggested for the slot.
But she said she has "no interest" in hosting the show. She said: "Absolutely not. No interest, no," when asked about the speculation by Oliver Callan on his RTE Radio One show.
She previously told us in May that she would be "mad" to not consider the job. The mum-of-two, who quit 2FM in May 2024, said: "I don't know. I'm too busy on holiday. I haven't got any calls. I've been getting many calls, but not from, not from that department as of yet.
(Image: RTE)
"But who knows? I think you'd be mad not to consider, you'd be so scared to take on that role. But you'd need full approval by Joe. Otherwise, you wouldn't have a chance in hell."
But she questioned at the time if Liveline could go on without Mr Duffy. "I don't know if Liveline can go on without him, that's the thing. You know, there's a new head of audio, and they're great for shaking things up," said the Dubliner.
On Friday, Mr Duffy will bid farewell to the iconic phone-in show with tributes from a host of special guests. Announcing the news that he was set to retire, he said: "First of all, it has been - and I mean this from the bottom of my heart, an incredible honour and a privilege to be part of a programme that relied almost entirely on trust, the trust of our listeners.
"Listeners felt they could pick up the phone, ring Liveline, share their lives, their stories; sad, bad, sometimes mad and funny, their struggles and their victories. I never took that for granted. Not for a single minute."
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But for the first time all afternoon, his succinct farewell greeting carries an authentically emotional charge. 'Love you all. It's been a privilege.' And with that the great ringmaster of Irish radio is gone.
