Rosanna Davison joined us to celebrate 25 years of VIP Magazine!
And she looked back at her career and how far she has come in the last quarter of a decade.
Rosanna, you were 15 years old when VIP launched! What was life like? What posters were on your walls? What were you listening to?
1999 was on the cusp of the Millennium so I remember the talk back then was, ‘Would the world end, would all the computers stop working, would planes fall out of the sky on New Year?’ There was something really significant about 1999, it could have been the end of the world! I was, I think, doing my InterCert at the time, I was really in to horses and had posters of horses on my wall, as well as pictures of Leonardo DiCaprio and Michael Owen who played for Liverpool, who my family support, and who played in the 1998 World Cup. I think I was wearing low-slung jeans!
Your dad Chris De Burgh must have been at the peak of his career then, as well?
Yeah, he was busy throughout the 80s. Lady in Red became a worldwide hit in about ‘86 so he travelled and worked a lot. All in all, it was a pretty normal childhood because Mum protected us from the media and just kept everything very stable at home. My dad did travel a lot for work, but then I remember him just being a really hands-on dad when he was at home, always playing with us in the garden.
We all spent a lot more time outdoors back then too…
My memories from those years were of being out in the garden playing with our Labrador, Millie. We didn’t have the internet or video games, it was a very outdoorsy childhood and teenagehood. I don’t even think dial-up internet existed then and the world was certainly not dependent on technology and digital communication like it is now. You’d have a house telephone and you’d ring your friend, maybe the day before and arrange to meet the following day at McDonald’s at 2pm, and if you were late, then tough! If your friend didn’t show up for some reason, then tough! I feel like 15-year-old me lived much more in the moment. I was mad about horseriding but also netball, athletics, and tennis. I hoped for a career in sports science or physiotherapy although a career wasn’t really on my radar! I suppose the idea of a family wasn’t on my radar either!
Can you remember your first VIP shoot?
I can and I remember feeling quite overwhelmed by the whole thing because a VIP shoot is a big deal! It would have been between winning Miss Ireland and going over to Miss World. But, over the two decades, I’ve enjoyed so many amazing shoots with VIP, too many to mention. I am really grateful for the support.
Works both ways, Rosie! This last decade has probably seen the most change for you – fair?
Yeah, well definitely getting married, deciding to have a family and then those few years trying to have a family and failing, and then welcoming Sofia through surrogacy and then the boys…there has been a huge amount of change! We’re all growing and changing all the time though, but yes my 20s were very much about travel and work, I just worked constantly. Then my 30s were more about settling down, creating a home, creating a family, I wrote my books in my 30s, I did my master’s degree in my 30s, and this decade has yet to reveal itself…
Will it be about finding a balance between family life and finding/ re-establishing yourself?
I think so. I was only saying to Wes this morning that suddenly we are out of the haze of toddlers and babies and it is becoming noticeably easier. The boys have done their first year of pre-school and we are finally able to travel with them, bring them to restaurants and it’s not pure carnage and chaos. I mean it’s still extremely busy and they’re still up early, but that haze has lifted. Wes is really busy with work and his business is thriving and he’s really happy with how that is going, but I’m sort of getting to the point of looking at doing a bit more. Obviously Dancing With the Stars was my first step back in to committing to a project, and it was a fantastic experience, even though by the end of it I think Stephen my partner thought I was going to collapse at any moment because I was so exhausted! I might be mad but I am thinking about maybe going back to study part-time. It’s exciting to be entering a new decade with a new plan.
Dare we cast our eye forward 25 years Rosanna…!
Oh, that makes me feel sick! I’ll be 65, dear God!
In your dreams, where are you? Do you know what?
The number one thing is to be healthy and fit. If you have that you can conquer anything. I am committed to health and fitness for the future, and I hope to be able to be here for grandchildren and to be able to travel and enjoy life. I love working and I’ve always been really ambitious and career-focused but as I get older, it’s important, but not as important as family. I used to be full-on work all the time and my parents thought I was bonkers, I’m less so now.
