As he prepares to host the Rose of Tralee for the tenth time, Dáithí Ó Sé has praised the competition for "celebrating Irish women".
Speaking at the launch of The Rose of Tralee International Festival 2019 Kerry native Dáithí Ó Sé told RTÉ Entertainment that he sees the competition as "a yardstick of how far Irish women have come".
He said: "Back in the 1970s the entrants were flight attendants, nurses, and teachers, while now they are also engineers, doctors and occupational therapists.
"They have jobs that would not have been considered as traditional female jobs before."
"The Rose of Tralee is a celebration of all Irish women."
Ó Sé's wife, Rita Dalty, was the New Jersey in 2008 when Ó Sé was on the judging panel and he is grateful that she understands the process – so there is no jealousy whatsoever!
"One of the best things is that she has been through the whole process. She knows what goes on because she has been part of the process herself."
"Obviously, I was in a judging capacity at the time we met, so its a very special festival for us."
This might be Ó Sé’s tenth time hosting the show, but he reckons he can no longer predict who is in with a chance of winning. He said: "My main job is to make sure that they are safe on stage and guide them. I need to make sure that there is nothing happening outside of the bubble that is upsetting them."
He added: "Maybe after the fact, a week later… then I say, yes she stood out!"
Click here to meet all of this year's Rose of Tralee entrants
Make sure to watch The Rose of Tralee International Festival 2019 competition live on RTÉ One at 8pm on Monday August 26 & Tuesday August 27.
