Did a jeweller's social media post take the shine off Ryan Tubridy's big engagement reveal?
There are few surprises in life anymore. In an era where you can tell your unborn baby's sex from 16 weeks and see a prospective suitor's entire CV on LinkedIn, real unknowns are scarce and precious.
So you can imagine Ryan Tubridy's surprise – not to mention that of his new fiancee Dr Clare Kambamettu – when a jeweller in Clifden unwittingly let the cat out of the bag.
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Irish Times
15 hours ago
- Irish Times
Carl Mullan on being a Rose of Tralee escort: ‘I swear to god it was the hardest work I have ever done'
Kicking off at 8pm this evening on RTÉ 1, 32 Roses and escorts will take the stage at MTU's Sports Academy in Kerry for this year's Rose of Tralee . The variety show/beauty pageant/lovely girl competition's first selection night will see 18 roses performing, followed by another 17 taking to the stage tomorrow night. Both the winning rose and the winning escort will be announced at the end of tomorrow night's broadcast. [ Rose of Tralee judge Dr Clare Kambamettu: A 'tiny but loud minority' drives racism in Ireland Opens in new window ] Radio and social media star Carl Mullan, who will perform the role of Master of Ceremonies at the 2025 Rose of Tralee Festival, says being an escort in the 2016 iteration was 'the hardest work I have ever done'. READ MORE 'I remember you'd get to bed at 2 o'clock in the morning having just been fulfilling your escort duties and then you would be up at 7 o'clock in the morning', the 2fm host says. 'Everyone thinks you are off having the craic in town – but I remember thinking: 'Where is the time for this? There is none!'" Mullan acted as an escort for both the 2016 Donegal Rose and the Scotland Rose, as that year the organisers hosted 65 roses from each Rose Centre rather than the customary 32 which rotate among Rose Centres. 'I used to work on the Nikki and Jenny show on 2fm as a reporter and we did a segment called Crash Test Dummy. 'I used to do all kinds of everything. I ate the world's hottest chicken wings, I did a downhill ice-skating event, I did a downhill mountain-biking race. I would throw my hat into anything and as a joke one year it came up in conversation: 'You should try and apply to be a Rose escort and see how far you get.' 'I went as an escort/reporter in 2016, but listen, I was a fully fledged escort. Let me tell you everyone thinks that those lads are down here for a jolly and that they are doing nothing. I did it once, never again. It was way too much work than I was able for. I was exhausted after dealing with it.' [ 'I had cancer but was sent home with paracetamol': The 2025 Roses on their health histories Opens in new window ] However, in spite of his hard work, the presenter looks back on his time as an escort fondly: 'It was lovely getting to know all the people and seeing the inner workings of the Rose of Tralee. I only knew it as a TV show but actually coming down and realising it is a festival and that there is such a community element to it; the parades and seeing the joy that it brings to people, was amazing.' 'I think we should always make space for something like that' Mullan says. Like the Sistine Chapel Hailing from San Francisco, Leo McFadden is thoroughly enjoying his experience as an escort. 'It's incredibly hard to describe [being an escort] without experiencing it. It's like going to a major historical site like the Sistine Chapel: you walk in to the room. You can't really describe the feeling but when you go in there it is incredible. 'It is something that hits you in a way that you can't experience without doing it. 'That's the best way I can describe it honestly,' says the security contractor. Leo McFadden the 2025 escort of the Queensland Rose Mr McFadden was inspired by his sister who was the 2023 San Francisco Rose, saying 'seeing it from a third-person view was absolutely incredible'. In terms of how he views the role of escort, Mr McFadden says: 'If the roses are the flowers, I think we [the escorts] are the stem. 'We do what we can to support them so they can flourish, and each rose is unique. Each escort has to have a unique approach to do that, but it's an absolutely once-in-a-lifetime experience. I wouldn't trade it for the world.' Also from California is Seamus Ruiz-Earle, a venture capitalist and the escort to the 2025 Luxembourg Rose. Mr Ruiz-Earle says he stumbled on the festival 'out of the blue' while visiting family in Kildare in August last year. He looked up what was happening in Ireland during that month and came across the Rose of Tralee. 'The more I did research, the more I wanted to be involved and being an escort seems like the best possible way to do that,' the CEO says. Seamus Ruiz Earle, escort of the 2025 Luxembourg Rose In terms of trying to describe the festival to American friends, Mr Ruiz-Earle says: 'No one understands. From an American perspective, there isn't anything like it.' However, the appeal of being an escort for Forbes 30 under 30 tech alum is in making connections with Irish people his own age, rather than just family members. 'I come back two or three times a year to visit family but I've never had friends in the country.' 'The opportunity to call each of the 32 lads, and now the 32 Roses friends, is really something that I look forward to.' He says he is also excited to be 'able to shoot a message into a group chat and go out and have a great time when I'm back in the country and make even more memories'. With so many young men keen to apply to be escorts, would there ever be an argument for a gender-flipped Rose of Tralee? Mullan says that such a competition would 'probably a lot less inspiring'. 'But listen maybe they should give it a go. I can guarantee I would not be applying to take part in that myself.'
Irish Times
a day ago
- Irish Times
Rose of Tralee judge Dr Clare Kambamettu: A ‘tiny but loud minority' drives racism in Ireland
Rose of Tralee judge and 2010 winner Dr Clare Kambamettu says she cannot see 'rhyme or reason' for why hatred is targeted towards people because of their ethnicity, background of culture. She is thinking of the recent alleged vicious assault of Sonali Flynn, an Irish- Indian woman who was celebrating on the streets of Tralee after Kerry's All-Ireland win. Dr Kambamettu, a clinical psychologist, is 'extremely proud' of her Irish-Indian heritage. 'It was something during my year as Rose of Tralee that was hugely important and probably shaped the whole year,' she says. READ MORE Her late father, Dr Ravi Kambamettu, moved to the State from India in the 1970s even though he had 'barely heard of Ireland', she says. 'He always spoke about how welcoming he found it.' However, she says, he experienced increased racism here towards the end of his life, 'which was something he hadn't experienced that much before'. The 2010 London Rose said: 'As Irish people we have our own story of having to leave or choosing to leave in search of a better life or sometimes even just to survive. 'We have had our own struggles in terms of how we have been welcomed in other parts of the world. We have experienced racism ourselves and so I think that makes me feel all the more sad and hurt by it. We should know better.' Dr Clare Kambamettu: "My Irish-Indian heritage is something that I am extremely proud of". However, she believes it is a 'very tiny but obviously very loud and dangerous' minority who perpetrate these narratives. 'I also think that we do know better ... I think that the majority of Irish people still remain welcoming of diversity and people from different walks of life but often their voices are drowned out because they are not the loudest.' Dr Kambamettu believes the online sphere has facilitated a rise in hateful rhetoric. 'I do think that there's a lawlessness to the online world and social media' she says. She says her fiancé Ryan Tubridy received 'horrible' abuse in the week of controversy over RTÉ payments two summers ago. Ryan Tubridy and Dr Clare Kambamettu recently confirmed their engagement. Photograph:Dr Kambamettu says she 'feels a great deal of empathy' for people who are experiencing abuse or vitriol targeted towards them. 'Nobody wants someone they love and care about to experience that.' She is condemns recent high-profile attacks on people of Indian heritage in Ireland, saying: 'There is no excuse for racism or bigotry. Ignorance is not an excuse.' [ Ryan Tubridy announces engagement to Dr Clare Kambamettu Opens in new window ] 'It's obvious that some healing needs to happen. I don't know exactly how that can happen,' she says, adding that the solution requires short-term and long-term thinking. 'I think that Irish and Indian communities need to come together, and probably the emphasis is on the Irish community reaching out to their Indian communities,' she says.
Extra.ie
2 days ago
- Extra.ie
Ryan Tubridy responds to President of Ireland speculation
There's still much speculation regarding who could become the next President of Ireland, and now broadcaster Ryan Tubridy has lifted the lid on his intentions. The race to the Áras is set to take place in the coming weeks ahead of Michael D Higgins retirement from the role. The 84-year-old cannot run for the office again due to being in the role for the maximum two terms (14 years). There's still much speculation regarding who could become the next President of Ireland, and now broadcaster Ryan Tubridy has lifted the lid on his intentions. Pic: Instagram/ Ryan Tubridy Among the more obscure names thrown around in recent weeks include Lord of the Dance Michael Flatley, Tommy Tiernan, Rosie O'Donnell, Joe Duffy and Ryan Tubridy. The presenter, who currently hosts his own mid-morning show on Virgin Radio UK, broke his silence on the matter confirming he wasn't planning on running for the gig. Taking to Instagram on Saturday, the Dubliner said: 'In answer to many Insta questions, two things I'm NOT doing this weekend: 1) Going to Oasis. 2) Running for President.' The presenter, who currently hosts his own mid-morning show on Virgin Radio UK, broke his silence on the matter confirming he wasn't planning on running for the gig. Pic: Instagram/ Ryan Tubridy He added: 'Coffee and crossword for now.' Alongside the comments, Ryan shared a screenshot of a message from a follower which read: 'Come on… run for President!!!! You know middle aged women vote in Ireland and you know you want to!' In fairness, Ryan hasn't completely ruled it out, just said he wasn't doing it 'this weekend.' It comes in the same week that Mairead McGuinness revealed she was pulling out of the race before it had even gotten underway. Pic: Julien Warnand/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock It comes in the same week that Mairead McGuinness revealed she was pulling out of the race before it had even gotten underway. The former EU Commissioner was a firm favourite to take over from Higgins later in the year, but confirmed on Thursday that she wouldn't be running. McGuinness cited health grounds for the reason behind the decision, revealed she had spent some time in hospital the week previous. 'I have made the very difficult decision to withdraw my name as the Fine Gael nominee for the Presidential election,' a statement from Ms McGuinness said. 'This decision is not lightly taken and follows a stay in hospital last week.
