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The Irish Sun
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
‘The public knew before me', says RTE's Karen Byrne on being unaware of on-screen chemistry with Jake Carter during DWTS
DANCING With The Stars judge Karen Byrne and her fiance Jake Carter are the perfect example of friends to lovers. The professional dancer, 32, and the singer , 26, began their whirlwind romance back in 2018 on the hit competition. 2 Karen Byrne and Jake Carter met on season two of DWTS 2 Karen and Jake have been in a relationship for seven years Credit: Instagram But, to many people's surprise, it wasn't until after the series had wrapped that next level. Karen told I can't remember when we officially said that we were together. I enjoyed company and he was my best friend on the show. " When the show finished I realised that I wasn't going to see him every day. Then we started meeting up after the show and I realised that I liked him. " READ MORE IN KAREN BYRNE The Dubliner admitted that she was totally oblivious to their obvious chemistry on screen. She joked: "The public seemed to know before me. They said they knew there was something going on between the two of us! "That was nice to hear, because I certainly didn't know." When Karen returned to DWTS for season three, she said: "I told the production team that Jake and I were together and they said they knew he was mad about me." Most read in News TV The celebrity choreographer added: "We were great friends before anything happened and that's always a good foundation of any relationship . Karen Byrne announces engagement to Jake Carter "There was something there and it blossomed into a relationship." The cute couple currently live together in a cosy apartment in Lucan, And Jake pulls his weight around the house too, with Karen telling the RTE Guide: "Jake is very domesticated now. I think he did all the housework when he was living with Nathan. "I did have to teach him how to cook, but he does all the washing and cleaning with us." SAY 'I DO' Back in March, Jake plucked up the courage to get down on one knee and The smitten star proposed to Karen in the same place they met seven years ago on the show. Karen stood in total shock, with her hands to her face, as Jake begged her jokingly: "Well, say something, Jesus!" However, Karen was still in absolute disbelief, asking him: "Are you actually for real Jake?" He then sealed the deal and asked her: "Is it a yes?" With Karen responding: "Yeah, oh my God!'
Irish Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Health
- Irish Daily Mirror
RTE star feared he'd be paralysed for life as he opens up about rare diagnosis
RTE star George Lee has revealed he thought he would end up paralysed for life after he was diagnosed with a rare spinal condition. The Environmental Correspondent said he feared the worst when in 2022 he was left in a wheelchair after doctors diagnosed him with Cauda Equina Syndrome. CES is where the nerve roots at the base of the spinal cord are compressed or damaged, leading to various neurological symptoms, including severe back pain, pain radiating down the legs (sciatica), numbness around the anus, and most importantly, loss of bowel and bladder control. Immediate medical intervention is crucial to prevent permanent damage, including paralysis. George told the RTE Guide: 'I was in a wheelchair for those couple of days, thinking, this is going to be my life from now on," he said, following the diagnosis. "It was the strangest thing ever.' The 62-year-old said he thought he'd never recover from the illness. "I did read at the time of my illness that many people don't get out very well, so lucky, lucky me. 'But you go on a journey when something like that happens. First, you think 'Will I recover?' 'Second, you think 'What will it be like if I don't recover?' Will someone be changing my nappies for the rest of my life? I believe if the timing was different and the RTÉ redundancy package was available then as it is now, I'd have taken it. But my priorities have shifted again." George also opened up about missing the late Charlie Bird. The pair first met in the late 1990s in the wake of the National Irish Bank story, a major investigation by George and Charliee, who died in March 2024. "I think about Charlie very often," said George. "It all happened so quickly for him, so terribly sad and showing how transient health and life is. I do miss him."
Irish Daily Mirror
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Bryan Murray doesn't know he's retired from Fair City, says soap-star partner
Fair City star Una Crawford O'Brien has admitted Bryan Murray doesn't know he has retired from Fair City. Mr Murray was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2019 but continued to appear on the show until his last episode on April 24. But his long-term partner Una has revealed that Mr Murray doesn't know he has finished up from the soap after 20 years. She said: 'He wasn't aware that he was finished either and that was good.' The actress – who plays Renee Phelan on Fair City – said she retired Bryan from the soap when she started noticing he was getting stressed at work. 'Once it started to stress him in any way, I knew the time was right for him to finish.' Una credited the Fair City cast, crew and executive producer, Brigie de Courcy, for all they've done for Bryan to ensure he could still work after his diagnosis. "Brigie was incredible; her and the team have facilitated him the best they could and that included everyone - acting, staging, sound - they all helped out. Huge thanks goes to them all. "They respected my decision late last year when I said he would have to finish up. Brigie had always said that she was leaving it entirely up to me, which was the best thing she could have done, because I wanted him to do it as long as he possibly could,' she told the RTE Guide. Ms De Courcy paid tribute to Mr Murray on RTE's Morning Ireland earlier this month, saying: 'We are all very sad about this. Bryan has been an absolutely wonderful part of the team for the last 20 years, an integral part of the story and an absolute consummate professional. "He is the very sort of person, when you have a young actor coming in you say to them, 'Go down and watch Bryan and watch what he does, how he occupies the space and how he occupies the screen'."
