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Irish Daily Mirror
11-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Kathryn Thomas' throwback to school days with Leo Varadkar
Kathryn Thomas has taken a trip down memory lane, reminiscing about her school days. The well-known presenter attended secondary school at King's Hospital in Dublin, which counts former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar among its alumni. Looking back at the young man who would become Taoiseach, Kathryn recalled him as being "ahead of the game" in comparison to his peers. "He was ahead of the game compared with most of us, I would say," she shared with The Irish Independent. "Intellectually he was brilliant and he was into debating. He was quiet," reports RSVP Live. "He wasn't that big into sports and he kind of had a core group of friends whereas we [she and her friends] were sort of messers." Back then, Kathryn harboured dreams of making it big in the acting world. "Entertaining or acting was in the blood. I wanted to go to Hollywood and I ended up in Donnybrook." Now, she's gearing up to co-host The Rose of Tralee once again with Daithi O'Se by her side. Broadcaster Kathryn Thomas (Image: Instagram) Former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar. (Image: Collins) She's also making waves in her new gig as the host of Dublin's Q102 morning radio show. This career move has been a boon for Kathryn, affording her the flexibility to drop her children off at school and strike a better work-life balance. "It's just made me feel more energised because everything is new and the job is about coming up with creative stuff, so I'm in a great place. All my life I thought I was somebody who thrived on not having routine," she reflected. "Now, at 46, I've realised something many people realise when they're children: that routine is actually a good thing. And really this is a great time of life." The bustling mum-of-two has previously expressed her eagerness for fresh ventures after choosing to leave Operation Transformation, sharing how she's feeling absolutely chuffed during this stage of her life. Chatting with RSVP Magazine, she revealed: "Since I decided to step away from Operation Transformation, then doing my documentary, The Skinny Jab revolution, getting into that documentary space, it's like me digging my teeth into something new. I just needed something new. "I have my two kids, Ellie is seven and Grace is three. I was very much ensconced in 'mum mode' for a few years, a new baby and a young kid and they're still young but I knew I was ready for a new challenge. "I knew my time on Operation Transformation was done, even though RTE wrapped the show, I knew my time had come to an end and I had made that decision. I had been there for thirteen years and I work best when I am engaged and challenged. I like challenges." Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
The Irish Sun
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
RTE legend Joe Duffy's sweet gesture to ‘nervous' Kathryn Thomas ahead of new radio show as star says, ‘it was lovely'
KATHRYN THOMAS has shared the sweet message she received from RTE legend Joe Duffy following her brand-new radio gig. The former Advertisement 2 Kathryn now hosts her own radio show on Q102 Credit: Q102 2 Kathryn received words of support from Joe Duffy At the time, the popular presenter gushed over the opportunity to "put her own stamp" on the show. The star admitted she only felt nervous when she realised she had to operate the entire desk by herself. Radio 1 . "I was sort of learning on the job for the first month or two." Advertisement READ MORE IN KATHRYN THOMAS But, the radio star was given a major boost in confidence just a few weeks into her show when an She revealed: "One of the first cards I got was from "So, I got this card on my desk saying, 'Your sound is brilliant, you sound bright, keep it going, good luck'. Which was lovely from one of the masters in radio." The 45-year-old had been manning the ship on the Q102 morning show for nearly six months now and it's safe to say she's found her feet. Advertisement Most read in News TV Exclusive The Carlow native previously hosted fitness programme Operation Transformation for over 13 years, before the broadcaster "wrapped" the series due to a "refresh and renew" of their TV listings. Kathryn has now admitted that she "knew" her time was up on the show before the station had decided to axe it. Kathryn Thomas shares wedding day nightmare The host confessed: " Even though RTE wrapped the show, I knew my time had come to an end and I had made that decision. " I had been there for thirteen years and I work best when I am engaged and challenged. I like challenges. " Advertisement 'SOMETHING NEW' The mum-of-two revealed that having young kids left her in "mum mode" for quite some time. But, with her daughters now that bit older, the Irish host confessed that she was "ready for a new challenge". She continued: "Since I decided to step away from Operation Transformation, then doing my documentary , The Skinny Jab revolution, getting into that documentary space , it's like me digging my teeth into something new. "I just needed something new." Advertisement
