2FM Breakfast host Carl Mullan opened up about body image and fatherhood in a wide-ranging interview on Brendan O'Connor's RTÉ Radio 1 show.
The radio and TV presenter appeared alongside Baz Ashmawy on O'Connor's weekend radio show where he spoke about life since welcoming two children with his wife Aisling, son Daibhí and daughter Éala.
"I don't think I was fully mentally prepared before becoming a dad for what it would mean," Mullan said.
"I often talk to people about the mourning of the loss of your old life. That's probably the biggest thing I've had to try and figure out.
"You realise, oh, it's gone. It is not coming back, I keep thinking it's coming back - it's not."
The 2FM broadcaster also spoke about wrestling with body image, particularly since becoming a father.
"It is something that I've always struggled with. There's less time for yourself or to go to the gym, I've definitely struggled with body image and particularly in the last couple of years," he said.
"It's just feeling self-conscious about putting on weight or clothes not fitting as well as you'd like and being out and about and wanting to look good.
"But actually, a lot of it now, it's even more deep-rooted, because I want to be the best version of myself for my kids.
"I want to be healthy and I want to be there for them. And sometimes, just because it's so mad, you don't get to be that best version of yourself the whole time."
He continued: "It's nearly the fact that I know that just by eating healthy and exercising, I know I can be the best version of myself, creatively, and I can have more energy for my kids.
"So there's nearly a guilt around when you're not eating properly because you're just running on empty. That you're going 'but now I know I'm not being the best version of myself that I can be'.
"There's definitely an element of that public body image, but actually it's more so rooted in just me and my life at home."
When asked by Ashmawy what he is keen to teach his children, Mullan said: "Definitely something that my mam and dad taught us was the importance of laughing.
"Laughter is a really important thing to try and teach kids, it's a really good thing to laugh. It was very much celebrated in our house."
Brendan O'Connor, Saturday and Sunday at 11am-1pm on RTÉ Radio 1.
