Reality GAA TV show, Celebrity Bainisteoir, returns to RTÉ One this week and amongst the new crop of managers is Gillian Quinn.
The wife of Sunderland Chairman and former Irish International Niall Quinn, Gillian was excited about getting a slice of the sporting action in the new season.
She told RTÉ TEN: "Niall knew that I had a fierce competitive streak, he’s seen me at competitions and he knows, and it’s not a very attractive trait in a woman, that I absolutely love winning and I work extremely hard for that. My mantra is that if you fail to prepare you prepare to fail. That’s what I live by and Niall knew that I had such a commitment to winning that I could get that across to the players and that I was as hungry for a win as they are."
The Pilates teacher shared her beauty tips: "I think because I’ve such an active lifestyle, I was teaching classes this morning and I’m riding horses this afternoon then I’ve to drive Mikey [her son] to matches tonight and because I can’t afford to be sick, I eat very healthily. That’s not to say I don’t eat crap as well, I eat probably something sweet a cake or chocolate every day at some point but I do eat healthily every day and I drink, if I’m on a night out, I’ll drink as much as I want and die the next day, the same as everybody else.
"I love my sleep, I try to sleep as much as I can because otherwise I can’t cope with the amount of stuff I have to do everyday. I eat everything - I don’t cut out carbs, fat or sugar - but in moderate doses. I go up and down half a stone and if I’m not exercising, I go up a half a stone in a week easily, it doesn’t drive me mad, I’ll just wear baggier clothes until I get it down again. I just keep an eye on it, I know by my jeans and the scales."
We are used to seeing you looking glamorous but did you go for a hair scrapped back, no make-up look on the pitch? My hair is definitely scrapped up but I have to put a bit of make-up on, I’m nearly 40 for God’s sake, I’d frighten them if I didn’t wear a little bit but no I wasn’t in my full war paint!
This year’s Celebrity Bainisteoirs: Dana, Gillian Quinn, Paul Gogarty, Tony Cascarino, PJ Gallagher, Tommy Flemming, Amanda Brunker and Brenda Donoghue
We’ll find out on Celebrity Bainisteoir this Sunday September 18 at 6.30pm on RTÉ One whether Gillian’s Ballyporeen beat Cascarino’s Killeshin to proceed to the semi-finals.
You can read the full interview with Gillian Quinn and preview the new season of Celebrity Bainisteoir in this week's RTÉ Guide.
