Una Healy is the proudest mother to her two children, Aoife-Belle and Tadhg.
And she’s hoping to do them proud in her new Netflix series.
The Tipperary woman has been announced in the lineup of a new reality series, Bear Hunt. And it’s not for the faint of heart.
Holly Willoughby hosts this action-packed competition show that sees a group of unlikely celebrities dropped into the Central American jungle as prey for one of the world’s most fearsome predators – Bear Grylls.
“I would say I’m quite an adventurous person. I love cold water swimming and I’m not scared of going on a roller coaster. I’ve done a parachute jump before. I used to be a champion swimmer when I was a child. Then there are the things I am not great with – I am terrified of spiders to be honest,” she confesses ahead of the show’s premiere.
Speaking about what she’ll miss most during her time in the jungle, she admits it’s going to be her children.
“I’ll be thinking about them all the time. And I said to them, when you’re going to sleep, always just close your eyes and think of me and I’ll be thinking of you back.”
However, they are supporting her 100 per cent of the way.
“They’re really excited. I wouldn’t have done it if they were worried about me being away that long,” she explains.
“They were like, ‘Go for it, mummy’. So that’s really reassuring and also it drives me too. Aside from missing them, I’m kind of delighted to not have my phone for a while and switching off from the real world.”
She won’t be backing down from a challenge as she reveals she certainly has a competitive side.
“I got that streak from quite a young age because I was a competitive swimmer as a child. So, I competed in loads of galas and I always said to my mother, ‘I want to be the fastest swimmer in Ireland’. I went on to win the All-Ireland championship at nine years old.
“I was a competitive runner as well, so athletics, track and field and cross country. I think that really helped me in life as well, you know, to kind of have that determination. I love having that.”
She adds: “I’m the kind of person as well that loves being given an itinerary and being told where to be and when. Even being in the Saturdays, I loved that part of it – being told what we’re doing the next day.
“We worked really, really hard but we did have so many people around us telling us where to be and what the schedule was. When you come away from that and you’re on your own again, it’s kind of hard because I love structure. That’s why I liked school as well.”
We can’t wait to see her take on this challenge!
Celebrity Bear Hunt Launches on Netflix in Wednesday, 5th February
