Mary Byrne is back on our tellies this week!
Yes, the singer who smashed onto our screens on The X Factor back in 2010, is trying her hand at dating on First Dates.
“I’m just Mary Byrne from Ballyfermot, and I’ll always be Mary Byrne from Ballyfermot,” she tells VIP Magazine as we chat with her ahead of her episode going to air.
“People still know me, but what I want people to know is that I’m just Mary Byrne from Ballyfermot.
“This side of my work is fantastic, and it’s brilliant to be known, and for people to come up and give you a hug, which is lovely, but remember, I am just Mary Byrne who has the same feelings as everyone else.”
Speaking about her dating life, Mary confesses that she hasn’t been on the scene in a decade and has no interest in using any dating apps.
“It’s 10 years since I had a date. Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve got a cuddle and a kiss every so often off a nice looking fella, but as regards to giving myself over in the last 10 years. It was scary, and I just didn’t do it.”
Of course, she jokes that even though she is 66, she’s “not dead”. She has worried that people would have preconceived notions about her after her time on the X Factor.
“When I came out of The X Factor, I had two solid years of work, so I had no way of thinking about relationships or anything like that. And prior to having my daughter, I was hurt, and I have a wall up that’s always going to be there,” she confesses.
She adds that she had a bad experience on a date after her time on the singing competition which also soured her view of the dating pool and ultimately put a pause on her love life.
“The wall got bigger when I went to The X Factor, and I came out of the X Factor. So in the 10 years after that one date, it kind of knocked me. I just decided I wasn’t going to do it.”
She admits: ‘”It’s always been a scary thing for me since I came into this side of the business that people wouldn’t want me for who I am, they’d want the so-called celebrity, but I want them to want me.”
View this post on Instagram
However, it looks like things are turning around in the world of romance for Mary as she can’t help but smile as she chats about First Dates.
“I’m a much stronger person than I ever thought I was. Going on First Dates really proved to me that I have come so far in my way of thinking, in my way of life,” she beams.
“I’m very honoured and very proud to have done it, and I’m very honoured and very proud to have met a nice person.”
Find out how she got on First Dates Ireland on Thursday on RTÉ 2 at 9.35pm.
