Virgin Media's Karen Koster says she is healthier and ‘less cranky’ since leaving Ireland AM - admitting she was ‘sweating’ some nights worrying about work the next morning.
The former Xpose star moved to Ireland AM for two years after the entertainment show was axed in 2019.
She has since moved to the station’s Six O’Clock show alongside Martin King - and admits it is much more within her comfort zone.
Karen told Irish Daily Mirror: “I am back doing light entertainment again, like the good days on Xposé. But that is what I loved the most, interviewing the celebs, that’s my bag completely.
“As much as I gave current affairs a stab on Ireland AM, talking to ministers wasn’t my forte.
“I think I have found my comfort zone by going to The Six O’Clock Show.”
Speaking to launch Virgin Media’s 2022 Spring TV schedule, she added: “I love the human interest stories and I would always try to be as prepped as I could.
“But there would be times when I would be sweating because Stephen Donnelly would be on the show the following morning and Eve wouldn’t go to sleep and Finn had a temperature at home and how was I going to get to sit down and prep and you were already half delirious from having a long day.”
The mum-of-three said her life has completely changed since doing the ‘wife swap’ with Muireann O’Connell, who changed over to work at Ireland AM alongside Tommy Bowe in Karen’s place - and said she is happy to leave the early wake up call behind.
“My last Ireland AM was back in July but still if one of the kids wakes me or my alarm goes off at 4am, I am so glad I am not getting up for work,” she said.
“Even getting up at 7am feels like I am having a lie in. It is only now that I have finished up that I realise I need my stamina for that shift, it is gruelling.
“You become sleep obsessed and now I am a healthier and less cranky version of myself now that I am not getting up as early.”
However, with limited job opportunities within the industry and a number of her longtime colleagues including Glenda Gilson and Anna Daly departing the station in recent months, Karen said she was willing to stick the morning shift out if she had to.
“Let’s be honest, there are not a million jobs going on TV and I am very aware of how lucky I am to have this gig.
“I don’t think I would have left. I really liked it, but it was tough, but that is okay, I can do tough things.”
