RTÉ star Blathnaid Ní Chofaigh has revealed she has re-prioritised her life after leaving The Afternoon Show and admitted that she didn't think she would bounce back so well after the trauma of the last year.
As well as her much publicised departure from the show, the last 18 months has seen the presenter having to deal with the death of her father, her sister’s cancer diagnosis and her own health problems.
"I've learned that I'm stronger than I thought. I didn't think I'd bounce back as well. I don’t think I’d ever give so much of myself to anything apart from my family again.”
"The hours were bonkers but I didn't mind the bonkers all the time. I remember someone saying to me after dad died that maybe it was all too much and I was like, 'no, no, no'.
"I suppose it was the fear of someone coming in and taking my place.
"Everything came from insecurity and that's a very natural feeling but it eats away at you.
"That hour and a half on the show was my safest place, even though that may seem strange," she told the RTÉ Guide.
In a revealing interview with the magazine, star Blathnaid, 39, says that the recent tabloid coverage was hardest on her children.
"The worst part of it all was how tough it was on my kids, especially on my older two, Síle and Peader. Adults say the most inappropriate things to them out of nosiness and curiosity. Having my older children interrogated has hit me harder than anything.
"The younger two divils, thank God, are in their own little world so they are protected by their age. I have to protect my kids because they have an expectation of their mother and I'm responsible for them. End of."
In terms of dealing with everything in recent months, the presenter has revealed she remains a "work in progress".
"I’ve had a hard time but I’m not sitting here licking my wounds"
She went on to reveal she has no concerns about work even though she has no idea what future endeavours the network has in store for her.
"I'm not worried about work. To be honest, if you had asked me that question about two months ago, I might have been worried but today I'm quite excited about the fact that I don't know for certain what's in store for 2010," she said.
She will be back on our screens again next week, resuming her role as a judge on the 'All Ireland Talent Show'.
The current RTÉ Guide featuring Bláthnaid's interview is now on sale.
