Eileen Whelan tells VIP Magazine that she has been in the midst of a “very strange” time in RTÉ.
As a newsreader on The One O’Clock news on the national broadcaster, she’s used to covering the biggest stories across the nation.
Her own employer just so happened to be one of those big stories in recent months.
Speaking to us for our October issue, Eileen tells us: “It was very strange having to report on RTÉ in RTÉ. RTÉ News is all about trust and telling the truth, calling people to account, and asking tough questions.
“Suddenly we were reporting on our own organisation. I recall on one occasion thinking ‘My God, I’ve been writing headlines about RTÉ for something like five days in a row – what can I say today?’.”
She went on to share her support her former colleague, Ryan Tubridy, who has now left RTÉ.
“I’ve always been and still am a big fan of Ryan Tubridy and I have huge sympathy for the way things worked out for him in the end. However, the revelations were shocking, and it was quite a stressful story to report on. I was as angry as anyone else at the revelations.”
Despite her own feelings, she pointed out that as her job she has to put everything to one side.
“People in the newsroom are particularly good at just getting on with their day-to-day jobs. There’s still a lot of disbelief about how this could all have come about.
“However, there is a great sense of trust in our new Director General Kevin Bakhurst and staff really seem to believe that he can help restore trust in RTÉ.”
To read our full chat with Eileen Whelan, where she chats about her family life and if she is a private person, pick up the October issue of VIP Magazine on shelves nationwide now.
