Rose of Tralee Elysha Brennan has teamed up with Ray D'Arcy to launch a new social media campaign aimed at increasing young people's self esteem and body positivity.
The 'insideANDout' campaign encourages people to share two messages on social media; something they love about themselves physically and something they love about themselves on the inside.
"I realised that Irish people, we are a self-deprecating nation. We can't take praise, we can't take compliments and people, young men and women, adolescents and people in their twenties, have no self esteem, a negative body image and I think it's such a plague among young people and I think it just adds to the issue of mental health," Elysha told RTÉ TEN.
"I want us to empower ourselves and that's something I feel really strongly about because we can't go out into the world and be amazing people and help each other if we're not kind and love ourselves."
Rose of Tralee @2015RoseElysha wants to empower people through her #InsideANDOut campaign https://t.co/3PjpEuH9Ndhttps://t.co/zBQRFppoUu
— RTÉ TEN (@RTE_TEN) June 1, 2016
Speaking about his decision to get behind the campaign, D'Arcy said it came down to his show's "long association with mental health issues" while acknowledging that the campaign might be difficult for some people to get involved with.
"I think it's going to be very difficult, I just said it in the office there before I came out, and nobody was willing to some 'I love something about myself' and a lot of people said 'I'm comfortable in my skin but I find it hard to say I love one thing'," said Ray.
"Like when I was a teenager the worst thing you could be was a big-headed sure-case so if I was to say to you that I love something about myself I would, in my head, be a sure-case, overly confident, 'who does he think he is', get back in your box sort of thing. So I'm very comfortable in my skin, and I think that's the message really, that we want young people to be comfortable in their skin and that's very difficult."
Ray D'Arcy says the main message of @2015RoseElysha's #InsideANDOut campaign is to be comfortable in your own skinhttps://t.co/6t8mdFuf4L
— RTÉ TEN (@RTE_TEN) June 1, 2016
2FM presenter Louise McSharry appeared on Ray's TV chat show at the weekend and won widespread praise after she spoke out about her struggles with body image and the scourge of 'fat shaming'.
She told Ray that "we live in a world that is absolutely cruel to fat people. Fat people’s bodies are up for discussion all the time, people feel entitled to talk about them tell you about it face to face."
Ray also spoke about the added pressure social media puts on people and his worries about his own young daughter growing up surrounded by it.
"Social media is something I don't really engage with and I'm forever saying that I'm thankful that I was brought up in an era where social media didn't exist because I can't even imagine the pressure it puts on young people today," he said. "Seeing pictures, bullying, everything, and I've a 9-year-old daughter and I'm sort of fearful for her, but maybe, hopefully, by the time she's a teenager we might've come out of this social media bubble but I doubt it."
Meanwhile Elysha has spoken about her own year in the media spotlight as the Rose of Tralee, Although she doesn't get to hand back her crown until August she said to date it has been an "absolutely crazy" experience.
"It's been extraordinary, it was such an adventure and a remarkable journey. I met some really special people along the way and they've all inspired me," she said. "I've completely changed as a person. My outlook on the world and my perspective is altered through all of these amazing experiences I've had, I've travelled all over the world, I've been to every 32 county in Ireland.
"It's been incredible, an adventure I could never have imagined... Now that it's all coming to an end I really want to do some good and use this platform that I have, and hopefully leave a bit of a legacy"
When she hands back her tiara and sash, Elysha will return to college and finish her studies in the Royal College of Surgeons and she admitted it will be an adjustment after the exciting year she has had.
"It'll be interesting going back to college and getting into the swing of it. I'm really lucky that I have something I love to go back to... There's a big part of me that's looking forward to going back and getting back into a routine and getting that structure in my life – I do genuinely love what I'm studying but then I know there'll be a part of a me that will be really sad to not be prancing around with a tiara and a sash every day and going to all of these exciting events and meeting extraordinary people. I've had an amazing year so I'm happy with that," she said.
For more information on the campaign check out the #insideANDout hashtag on Twitter.
