Deirdre O’Kane has revealed she’s thankful she’s been able to receive the Covid-19 payment, after losing out on major gigs this year.
The 52-year-old was supposed to go on tour later this year, and was also set to host a new entertainment show for Sky One – but sadly all of that has gone out the window, due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Deirdre is now using her time to organise the RTÉ Does Comic Relief event, which will air later this month.
Speaking about missing out on big gigs this year, the comedian told the Irish Mirror: “I mean it is brutal.”
“I was supposed to go on tour in September and I missed my TV show by about two weeks, the filming of it, but at least they haven’t cancelled it, I will just have to wait.”
“The next thing to go was my show, my new tour in September, it’s not feasible either so I think people that work in theatres are really really worried.”
“Please God they’ll sort something and I think the government needs to sort this by Christmas time at the latest, but look a lot of people are obviously in the same boat if not worse, so God bless the Covid €350. It has kept it all going,” she confessed.
“Of course there are people involved in this show who are well off and won’t be needing the Covid €350, people who have made it to the top, but there is an awful lot of us who just work year on year, same as everybody else.”
“I’m hyper aware that we are the lucky ones in this pandemic and we are not hungry, and not in a domestic abuse nightmare situation and I know other people have been having a really tough time and I am not one of them, I am absolutely one of the lucky ones.”
Speaking about the RTÉ Does Comic Relief fundraiser, Deirdre said: “It’s gonna be a three hour broadcast packed with talent. And it is a chance to say listen, this is what the arts is. And you can’t do Comic Relief without all of this talent.”
“They are just amazing and they are all giving their time for free. And they have all lost their jobs. So I hope that message also comes across.”
Deirdre will host the event alongside Nicky Byrne, Jennifer Zamparelli, and Eoghan McDermott, and it will air live on RTÉ One on June 26.
On this week’s episode of #GossChats – Ali Ryan chats to Aoife Walsh.
The former Miss Ireland opens up about postponing her wedding, being apart from her fiancé, and the lessons she has learned during lockdown.
#GossChats is sponsored by top Irish aesthetic clinic Haus of JeJuve.
