Episode 6: Jenny McGrath
6th July 2007
Have you ever imagined what your life would be like without you?
Would your family cope if you weren't around for a week?
Mother of five, Jenny McGrath from Tallaght is about to find out in the final episode, of series two, of Life Without Me on RTÉ One.
In this six part series, a person is removed from their family or workplace and sent on a week-long retreat to the picturesque Life Without Me Villa, in the south of Spain.
While the person is away, we will see how those left at home cope without them. Will they manage to keep the house in order? Will everything run smoothly or fall apart? In the final episode Jenny McGrath will put her husband and family to the test.
The McGrath house is constantly filled with people who come and go at all hours of the day and night. Jenny and her husband Kieron have five children aged from 25 to 12, and two dogs - one of them a large doberman pup. On top of that, this friendly family attracts a variety of local teens and neighbours who love to pop in for a cuppa tea or a bite to eat.
However, with so many people living in, and visiting the family home on a daily basis, stay-at-home mum Jenny is often working until late at night finishing all the household chores. Every day she does all the cooking, washing, ironing, cleaning, hovering, dog walking and 'taxi' driving for the family - and in 25 years has never had a break away from her husband, children and her beloved dogs.
Jenny thinks the house would fall apart if she wasn't around, and although she's nervous about going away and leaving her husband in charge - she wants Kieron to find out exactly what it's like to look after seven people, seven days a week.
How will Kieron cope with ten loads of washing per day, doing the cleaning, shopping, cooking meals every night and remembering to pick up all the kids from school, sport and dance classes?
On the flipside, despite her worries about leaving the family behind, will Jenny learn to relax and enjoy her time in Spain; and think about herself for a change?
One week later, when she returns to the family home to resume the role of wife, mum, cook, cleaner and taxi driver the big question is - will anything have changed?
