VIP caught up with Sky Sports presenter Rachel Wyse during her visit home to Dublin last night, where she told us she has NO plans to branch out into different tv work in the future.
The 30-year-old was home to launch the new Magnum Experience in Arnotts, and told us that she still has to pinch herself about her dream job working for the UK network.
Rachel moved from her native Blackrock to London five years ago for a high profile presenting role with Sky Sports, and was announced as the anchor for their brand new GAA coverage last summer.
At the time, there was some controversy over Joe Brolly’s comments that dismissed Rachel as a ‘Baywatch babe’ which he later apologised for. But the tv star happily told us that since the incident she has received mainly supportive messages from viewers.
“It’s been really nice. If you’re going to work in television you’re putting yourself out there to scrutinise you and criticise you and offer opinion and comment on you and that’s part of the job. So if it’s constructive, you learn from it, and if it’s nasty comments, you learn to move on from it.
“But by and large people have been so supportive; that’s one of the best things about the GAA, it’s a real community.”
Rachel also explained that her role on the network isn’t as male-dominated as one might think.
“People think that it’s just men because it’s Sky Sports, but 50% of people behind the camera are females as well – my directors and producers, for example. It’s very split behind the scenes.
“Obviously on air it’s a guy and girl working together, but you form great friendships and have such a giggle. With the GAA team, I may be the only girl in terms of front of camera, but there’s loads of females behind the camera. We’re all like a travelling family!”
And what about future telly work? Would Rachel like to branch away from sports and focus on a new type of show?
“I never thought I’d be presenting GAA on Sky Sports five years ago,” she told us. “I’ve been able to go to amazing sporting events, like Monaco and Ascot, and I’m incredibly, incredibly lucky.”
“Sky has a platform where they cover some of the biggest events in the world, so to move on from that would be in my opinion absolutely crazy! So as long as they want me, I’d love to stay there. I’m just enjoying it – I’ve no long term plans. I just want to keep the head down and keep working away!”
