How Daithí Ó Sé spent nearly five days recording 1,000 words of thanks to lonely fans during the lockdown
TV favorite Daithí Ó Sé spent nearly five days recording nearly 1,000 thanks to lonely fans during the peak of lockdown.
And the kind presenter admits he could make around €50,000 if – like other celebrities – he charges for such messages, with many stars using professional websites to earn 50 € or more.
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Daithi is calling us to test ourselves
But Kerryman says he went out of his way completely out of kindness – and laughs out that his mother Kathleen would have descended on him like a ton of bricks if he had done otherwise.
Daithí (46) came up with the idea during the May 2020 bank holiday, just weeks after Ireland entered its first major lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“I think we’re in for some breaking news or something. I recorded a piece and I said ‘look, if you have a picky in-law or anyone at home that you want me to say hello to, there’s no pressure at all, if you don’t want the hassle, let me know. and I’ll do it,'” he recalls.
“I have received more than 940 requests. I began [recording messages] on Thursday night when I get home. I did all day Friday, all day Saturday, all day Sunday, Monday bank holidays and I think I did the last day or two on Tuesday morning.
“I was just trying to create these positive vibes because these are the same people who watch our show every day. These are people who cannot leave their homes, they are in a cocoon.
“These are the most vulnerable people in society, these are the people who are uncertain about what is going on after living their whole lives to be able to walk around places like Kerry, Cork, Dublin, Belfast, everyone. place. So I just wanted to send out some positive vibes, not wanting anything in return from them.”
Daithí says the reaction he gets makes it all worthwhile.
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“If you see the emails I received back; ‘you’re looking to light up someone’s afternoon,’ that’s awesome,” he laughs. “I was told I could make a lot of money out of that and I said, ‘Listen guys, you guys are missing the point here’. Like the almighty Jesus, my mother would be ashamed of me if she thought that I took 50€ to bring a smile on someone’s face.
“Other people can do it differently, that’s their business, I have no problem with that. It’s not for me, I’m happy to take those messages and send positivity out into the world.
Daithí, who is married to former Rose of Tralee contestant Rita Talty and lives with her family in Co Galway, is promoting the cholesterol-fighting drink Benecol and encouraging people to get tested.
His father, Maidhc, died at the age of 71 of a heart attack in 2013 and Daithí says his significant other gets regular medical check-ups.
“I went for myself [body] NCT gets done every year, gets all the work done, and I know people always say ‘men are terrible at taking checks,’ but I think that’s changing as well,” he said.
https://www.independent.ie/style/celebrity/how-daithi-o-se-spent-almost-five-days-recording-1000-shout-outs-to-lonely-fans-during-lockdown-42316283.html How Daithí Ó Sé spent nearly five days recording 1,000 words of thanks to lonely fans during the lockdown
