OVER THE YEARS, we’ve seen many great reality TV shows come and go. The only constant, is that there always seems to be a token Irish person taking part.
Here’s an update on some of the best Irish reality contestants that flew the flag for us both at home and abroad–whether we wanted them to or not.
X Factor:
The Conway Sisters
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The four Conway sisters, Laura, Marie, Sharon and Sinead from Sligo were eliminated in week 7 of the second series of X Factor.
They’ve since broken up, but Laura decided to pursue music and moved to Hollywood, where she regularly posts videos on her Youtube channel. Sinead sings in a wedding band called Red Shoes and even performed at Westlife star Shane Filan’s nuptials. WOW.
Why not re-live the glory days and watch their performance of ‘One Voice’.
Tabby Callaghan
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Fellow Sligonian Tabby found the perfect mentor in Sharon Osbourne on the series in 2004. He finished in third and the hype soon died down, but not before he got his own fly-on-the-wall documentary series, ‘What Tabby Did Next’.
Yes, that wasn’t a dream.
His single ‘Gotta Get Control’ reached #20 in the charts last year, apparently. But worry not, he’s still on the music scene, as evident on his Facebook.
Via Facebook/The Marquee in Drumlish
Mary Byrne
Good ol’ Tesco Mary stole the hearts of the Irish public when she flew the flag for Ballyer on the X Factor in 2010. She proved so popular with viewers that she immediately got a record deal and released two albums, an autobiography, and appeared in GREASE: The Musical when it was playing at the Grand Canal Theatre in 2011.
She’s still going strong, and you can catch her in your local concert hall some time soon we’re sure. She’s the salt of the earth, that Mary.
Eoghan Quigg
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Eoghan’s hedgehog hair was a thing of wonder. The 20-year-old from Dungiven found fame in 2008 when he got to third place. His debut album reached number one in Ireland (shame on us), and after a few shopping-centre appearances and an awful single about social media, little Eoghan disappeared.
Until recently, when Louis Walsh announced he was forming a new boyband, Eoghan was there in a light. No word on whether he made it yet…but he’ll always have his body oil.
Big Brother:
Spiral
Julien Behal/PA Archive
Having embarrassed the nation on Big Brother 7, Glen Coroner aka DJ Spiral re-released his ‘hit’ song ‘Finglas’, which reached number 9 in the charts. He hasn’t released anything quite as good since, Finglas just can’t be beaten.
He’s been working on some new music, like Working Me Out, which resembles an out-take of Tallafornia. Rapid.
Ray Shah
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Shah has transformed himself into a superstar DJ, with a week-day slot on Classic Hits 4fm and being 1/4 of the DJ collective, fourplay DJs. Filthy.
He also runs his own nutrition business, where does he find the time at all? He’s still the lad that choked the chicken on national TV though, as he’ll readily admit on twitter.
You’re a Star:
Donna and Joe McCaul
This sibling duo from Athlone stole the hearts of the nation when they joined the battle to sing at the Eurovision. They subsequently failed to qualify for the song contest, therefore losing all the hearts previously gained.
Joe now presents a radio show having failed to make the final cut in the X Factor last year. After stints on other reality shows such as Failte Towers and Anonymous, Donna attempted to represent us in the Eurovision again in 2012, but only got to third place.
Brave, considering Louis Walsh had said the reason we failed to make it the first time is because we sent “two amateurs”. Ouch.
Mickey Joe Harte
Niall Carson/PA Archive
Donegal-man Harte is another product of You’re A Star, winning it and entering the Eurovision with the glorious ‘We’ve Got The World’.
It was a number one hit in Ireland for him, despite finishing 11th in the competition. He’s still on the gig circuit, playing pubs and colleges all across the country. Thanks for the gift, Joe.
21 Demands
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This lot didn’t quite make the cut on You’re A Star, coming second place in 2005. Their debut single ‘Give Me A Minute’ did top the Irish singles charts, being the first independent track to do so.
Then they became a little band called Kodaline, which has done wonders for their success really. They look like this now:
Popstars – Ireland
Six
Suzan /EMPICS Entertainment
It’s crazy to think that it’s been 11 years since Six were gloriously formed on the Irish version of Popstars. The band created an everlasting legacy with the masterpiece, a cover of ‘There’s A Whole Lot of Lovin’.
The band sadly split in 2003, but the members have gone on to get the success they duly deserve.
Emma O’Driscoll is familiar face on RTE, Liam McKenna works for Louis Walsh, Sinead Sheppard set up a dance school and tried her hand at politics and Kyle Anderson works behind the scenes in television. Fair play.
