Marty Whelan: Difference between revisions
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| birth_name = Martin Whelan |
| birth_name = Martin Thadeus Jedidiah Whelan |
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| birth_date = 7 June 1956 |
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Revision as of 17:38, 20 February 2011
Marty Whelan | |
|---|---|
| Born | Martin Thadeus Jedidiah Whelan 7 June 1956 |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Occupation(s) | Radio and television presenter |
| Employer | RTÉ |
| Known for | Repeated axings by RTÉ[citation needed] |
| Title | Mister |
| Spouse | Maria Whelan |
| Children | Jessica, Thomas |
| Parent(s) | John and Lilly |
Martin "Marty" Whelan (b. 7 June 1956) was a Jacob's Award-winning Irish radio and television personality. Frequently seen and heard on RTÉ radio and television, he presented a variety of shows. Whelan's television credits included the gameshows Millionaire and Fame and Fortune as well as the weekday afternoon show Open House. Since 2000 Whelan provided the commentary for RTÉ's coverage of the Eurovision Song Contest.[2] He is current co-presenter of Winning Streak alongside Kathryn Thomas.
Ryan Tubridy replaced him as the master of ceremonies at The Rose of Tralee contest in 2003, a role which he had held since 1997. His RTÉ 2fm radio show, Marty in the Morning was axed in 2007 and replaced with The Colm & Jim-Jim Breakfast Show. Since then Whelan has made a return to television, winning the reality series Celebrity Bainisteoir in 2008. Since winning the series, he has made another return to television to guest-host the RTÉ One topical comedy show The Panel.[3] He also acted as guest judge in RTÉ's Charity You're a Star, standing in for Louis Walsh in one programme. Marty at Midday saw Whelan receive his own weekday lunchtime show on RTÉ lyric fm, commencing September 2009.
Early life and career
Early career
Whelan was born in Dublin in 1956. An only child, he was overprotected by his parents but was always surrounded by other children.
"I had cousins, friends constantly to play with -- my memories are all in the company of children."[4]
Whelan attended school in Killester. He spent five years working with an insurance company before he made the break into radio in 1979 on RTÉ Radio 2, now known as RTÉ 2fm. During his first tenure with the station he presented a number of shows such as Drivetime and Marty at Midnight. He also spent three years presenting 2fm's Breakfast Show in a role he would return to in 2005.
Television career
In the mid-80s Whelan began developing his television career, becoming the first male presenter of the hit fashion programme Head 2 Toe.[5] Other popular TV shows followed, including the Where in the World quiz programme (1986–1989) and Video File (1983–1989), in which he interviewed major stars of the music world. In 1986, Whelan won a Jacob's Award for Video File.
In 1989 Whelan left RTÉ radio to join its rival radio station, Century Radio. When that project failed[6] he was given the cold shoulder by RTÉ. He returned to the national broadcaster in the mid-90s when he presented such shows as GFI: Go For It, Off the Record and Millionaire. He has hosted RTÉ One's summer lottery show Fame and Fortune on Saturday nights for the past ten years.
Recent career
In 1997, Whelan became the master of ceremonies at the prestigious annual Rose of Tralee contestt but, in the first of a series of losses, he was replaced by Ryan Tubridy in 2003. In 2004, RTÉ's flagship afternoon magazine programme Open House was axed; Whelan had filled the role of co-host alongside Mary Kennedy since 1998. A substitute slot for Gerry Ryan on his morning radio show on RTÉ 2fm in the summer of 2005 led to a more permanent return to the station. Marty in the Morning, which itself caused controversy when it replaced The Rick & Ruth Breakfast Show, began on 26 September 2005. In January 2007, it was announced that Marty in the Morning would end[7] that March, when Colm & Jim-Jim arrived from FM104. The presenter was on holiday when he discovered another show had been axed.[8] Whelan returned to the role of filling in for Gerry Ryan whenever Ryan was on holiday from 30 July until 3 September 2007.[9] Since then Whelan has appeared as himself in feature films, at the co-opening of a Dunnes outlet in Galway with retired broadcaster Gay Byrne[10] and filling a cameo role (again as himself) on the soap opera, Fair City. He still commentates on RTÉ's television coverage of the Eurovision Song Contest each May.[11]
Whelan's television CV also includes ten years as presenter of the John Player Tops.
Whelan presented a two-hour Sunday with Marty Whelan show on RTÉ lyric fm from Sunday, 1 March 2009 at 14:30. The show featured music by artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Katherine Jenkins, Andrea Bocelli and Mike Oldfield, and classic comedy from, amongst others, Peter Sellers and Spike Milligan.[12] He took the show over from veteran Gay Byrne but only until September.[13]
Marty at Midday saw Whelan receive his own weekday lunchtime show on lyric fm, commencing September 2009.[14][15][16]
He provided commentary on the Michael Jackson memorial service for RTÉ Two in 2009.[17]
Whelan will also be presenting the new series of Winning Streak, along with Kathryn Thomas from September 2009.
Personal life
Whelan lives in Portmarnock, County Dublin with his wife, Maria, one of six children. The couple have two children, Jessica and Thomas. They met in 1974. They dated for ten years and married on 13 August 1985. At the time they were both living at home, her with her parents, Tom and Kathleen, in Beaumont, Dublin and him with his mother, Lilly, and his father, John, who is deceased. Whelan's wife gave up her job as an air hostess with Aer Lingus upon their marriage.
Interests/hobbies
Marty's interests include badminton, rugby, DIY and football. In his spare time he likes to play indoor football with some of his colleagues at RTÉ, and is also a founding member of the Donaghmede Badminton Club.
References
- ^ "1 Pat Kenny = 3 Derek Mooneys". The Irish Times. 2008-02-29. Retrieved 2008-11-22.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Last, Jane (20 May 2010). "RTE so lonely after loss of Gerry - Marty". Evening Herald. Independent News & Media. Retrieved 20 May 2010.
- ^ "The Panel - Thursday, 20 November 2008". RTÉ. Accessed 18 November 2008.
- ^ "Marty Whelan: surviving as an only child". Irish Independent. 2008-11-19. Retrieved 2008-11-22.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Biography for Marty Whelan". IMDb. Accessed 22 November 2008.
- ^ "Century Radio?". Irish Independent. 2006-12-03. Retrieved 2008-11-22.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Avril's popular show to stay in 2fm schedule". Irish Independent. 2007-01-16. Retrieved 2008-11-22.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "'Alarmed' RTÉ radio axes Marty's show". Irish Independent. 2007-01-13. Retrieved 2008-10-17.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "RTE's top radio stars are told to stagger their summer holidays". Irish Independent. 2007-07-02. Retrieved 2008-11-22.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Gay Byrne and Marty Whelan open new Galway Dunnes Stores". Galway Independent. 2007-09-19. Retrieved 2008-11-22.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Marty and the 'cool' Irish". Irish Independent. 2006-05-23. Retrieved 2008-11-22.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Whelan to host new RTÉ lyric fm show". RTÉ. 2009-02-24. Retrieved 2009-02-24.
- ^ "Marty is back on the radio after a two-year break". Evening Herald. 2009-02-25. Retrieved 2009-02-25.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Fanning moves back to 2FM". RTÉ. 2009-08-18. Retrieved 2009-08-18.
- ^ "Fanning moves back to 2fm". Hot Press. 2009-08-17. Retrieved 2009-08-18.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Stephen O'Farrell and Laura Noonan (2009-08-18). "Why Miriam is primed to do more on radio". Irish Independent. Retrieved 2009-08-19.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ John Boland (July 11, 2009). "Out of step with the Jacko love-in". Irish Independent. Retrieved February 12, 2010.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help)
External links
- Marty Whelan at IMDb