Down Rose Fainche McCormack has criticised the filming of the Road to the Dome documentary, which RTÉ broadcast immediately before the Rose of Tralee commenced last Monday night.
Writing on the official Rose of Tralee Facebook page, McCormack declared as follows: “I and my fellow Rose sisters did not sign up for a cheap reality television show in which our emotions would be manipulated for entertainment purposes. Cameras intrusively followed us all week and asked inappropriate probing questions; asking one girl what colour underwear she was wearing right before she went on stage, what’s acceptable about that?”
McCormack wrote about being “ manipulated, bullied and mistreated” in the course of the filming. RTÉ and the Rose of Tralee Festival have issued a joint statement in which they declare that all 65 Roses were aware of the Road to the Dome filming from the beginning.
“It was commissioned by RTÉ and produced in co-operation and agreement with the Rose of Tralee committee. This also included the selection process where the 65 became 32 for the live televised programmes.
“In advance of the show going out on Monday evening the festival were given the opportunity to view the programme and were happy with it. We regret that the Down Rose, Fainche McCormack, was upset at elements of the filming process for the documentary and RTÉ and the Rose of Tralee Festival have agreed to review the process for next year.”
Sydney Rose Brianna Parkins has written a diary-style, observational piece in today’s Irish Times which makes reference to Road to the Dome. “A documentary crew interview us about what the other girls are like and how we feel about the competition, “ she writes. “I think we disappoint them with our honest but boring answers.”
