Presenter Mairead Ronan said she can't wait to be free from 'mum guilt' and enjoy date nights with her husband when she finishes up on Today FM this month.
After two decades from the station, the radio and TV presenter made the decision to walk away from her popular lunchtime show to spend more time with her husband Louis and her teenage son Dara and daughters Eliza, five, and Bonnie, three.
And whilst she is sure she will be ‘bawling’ when she signs off the airwaves later this month, she admits she is looking forward to a slower pace of life.
Opening up about the decision, the Ireland’s Fittest Family host said: “It wasn’t on a whim, I didn’t wake up one day and decide I’m going to leave. It was obviously thought out long and hard, and I talked it through a lot with Louis.
"Yes, I could’ve stayed for a couple of more years but Dara is now a teenager, Eliza is five and Bonnie is three. I want to be there for all of it – and I just mean the normal stuff.
"I’m not going to be called mum of the year, I’m not an arts and crafts genius, I won’t be baking with them every day.
"I just want to pick them up and be there when they get in from school.
"I’ve never had time to be able to get involved with things in their schools and I want to be able to experience that too.”
The former Dancing with the Stars champion admitted the pandemic played a huge part in her decision.
She told RSVP Magazine: “To be honest, I wouldn’t have made this choice if it wasn’t for the pandemic.
"I would’ve stayed on the treadmill for another few years and these magical years would have passed me by.
“What Covid showed me was that I missed the slower pace of life and being around more for my family.”
She went on: “My career was such a focus of mine and now I’ve realised that home is actually the most important thing."
Asked if she feels the decision will curb her feelings of guilt at home, she added: “They really will and that guilt has been so constant in my life over the years.
“I don’t want to go out with Louis on the weekends when I’ve been away from the kids all week, it seems unfair so we never do it. Whereas now I’ll be like, “No no, they’ve had me all week long, let’s go!”
Mairead, 41, will still be working with her haircare business FARO and with RTÉ for Ireland’s Fittest Family, and said she made that clear to her Today FM bosses before she announced her departure.
She explained: “Because I didn’t want them to be upset with me if they saw me working somewhere else.
“I’ll always be working, that side of my personality hasn’t gone away. I love working, I’ve always enjoyed working, I just want a slower pace and more choice on the times and days I go to work.
But the long running Today Fm star hasn't ruled out a return to the station in the future.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if I turn up on Today FM again – I could cover someone’s holidays and I would totally enjoy that,” she said.
