Ever wanted to know more about your favourite celeb? We’ve been catching up with some of the biggest names in Irish showbiz to discover their hidden quirks and close-kept secrets. From pet peeves to bucket list dreams, we find out all there is to know about some very famous faces!
This week, we sit down with Una Healy to chat about her signature dance move, ultimate comfort food and the best advice she’s ever received.
What tv boxset are you hooked on right now?
I don’t watch much tv, but I do watch Strictly Come Dancing. I love the glitz and glamour of it all!
Are you a morning person or a night owl?
Oh, I’m such a night owl. But, you have to be a morning person too when you have small kids…I try to go to bed early because I’d be up for 6.30am but I find it hard to be asleep by midnight!
Last book you read?
I’m reading one at the minute, called The Book That You Wish Your Parents Had Read by Philippa Perry. It’s great for parenting, because you always want to be the best parent you can be.
What’s your signature dance move?
It’s from my time in The Saturdays, it took a while to learn but once I got it, I always do it! It’s like a hip roll and a hit and repeat…kind of like a floss!
Craziest fan story?
Well this isn’t crazy, but touching; one of my big supporters fell in love with the lyrics of one of my songs and had them tattooed.
What’s your favourite lyric that you’ve written?
Actually, that one – ‘Give me stormy skies. Give me higher walls to climb, that’s just life. Light and shade, night and day. I’m not gonna break, yeah I’m playing the waiting game’. It’s about how life is full of up and downs and you’ll have good and bad days but you just have to get on with it.
Biggest pet peeve?
I can’t stand when I’m driving and try to do the nice thing of letting someone out and they don’t give you the wave. It’s so annoying!
What’s the last dream you remember?
Because I used to swim so much as a child, I dream about water a lot. It’s not a great thing to be thinking about while you sleep – you might need to get up for the toilet!
Your most beloved album?
True Blue by Madonna. I might have only been about six years old but I knew every word!
When are you most confident?
I feel really empowered after I’ve been to the gym. It’s that sense of achievement. I usually go just after the school run and I feel it gives me such a boost to get on with the rest of my day.
What’s your ultimate comfort food?
Spicebag! You have to get it from the right place though, there are a lot of fakes out there. The best one is in Thurles in Tipperary, it’s called Lim’s Chinese.
And what’s the dish you like to cook for people?
An easy one is something in a big dish with bread and salad, like lasagne, and I like roasting chickens too with potatoes and all the veg.
If you could have three people over to your house, who would they be?
It would have to be Elvis Presley, Sheryl Crowe and The Queen – I’d love to hear her speak and see how she’d act. I’d love to get a few sherries into her [Laughs]. Elvis, Sheryl and I would have a sing-song and get her to join in!
Who gave you your best advice – and what was it?
I remember Emma Bunton giving us advice during The Saturdays, she just said to enjoy every second because it
all goes by so quickly. And I think that applies to life in general, you should try to appreciate what you have and make the most of it.
Who do you call for a good rant?
My mother. Always. She lets me have my rant y’know? Sometimes you just need someone to listen to you!
What do you turn to when you need a laugh?
My friend Smarties, in Thurles. She got that name from when we were seven years-old and we had our cups of tea in a Smarties Easter egg mug! She’s just hilarious.
What’s your biggest fear?
Spiders. They keep hovering above my front door and it freaks me out thinking of them getting into the house!
Do you have a bucket list, and if so, what’s on it?
I’ve actually ticked off a few in the last year which is great – I did a hot air balloon ride, I camped at Glastonbury… next up, I want to go through Central America and explore all the random little places off the beaten track. Maybe a bit of backpacking! I’d like to do something very adventurous.
INTERVIEW: Niamh Devereux
Check out #TheUnaEdit on littlewoods.ie, which showcases a snapshot of Una’s A/W fashion picks.