Tommy Bowe has gushed about life as a father for the first time.
The Irish rugby star and his wife Lucy Whitehouse welcomed their daughter Emma back in April – and the news came as a surprise, as the couple had kept Lucy’s pregnancy on the “down low”.
Speaking to Independent.ie Style, Tommy said, “It wasn’t really intentional, it was only that it was getting close, I could have let it slip.
“At that stage, Lucy was trying to keep it on the down low so there was no extra pressure.”
Speaking about being a first time father, the 33-year-old said, “It’s really exciting. She’s just under six months and she’s a lot more interactive now.
“In the first few months, she didn’t really recognise anyone apart from her mum. Now, when I walk in the door and she hears my voice, she’s looking around and I get the odd smile and giggle, that’s been really exciting.
“It’s hard. Everybody tells you it’s hard, but you don’t really get it, certainly the first few months are a challenge, everything has been turned upside down. We’re very fortunate, she’s sleeping really well,” he said.
2017 has been a year of change for Tommy, as he nabbed a presenting role on RTÉ travel show Getaways, alongside Vogue Williams, Mairead Ronan and Joe Lindsay.
“We got to see some really great hotels and different places. It was a really good experience, it was something completely different and fun.
“Obviously the rugby season has started so it’s difficult to get away, I need to be away for a week or so to film segments and during rugby season, it’s hard.
“Three of my four weeks holidays this summer were spent filming, Lucy probably wasn’t too happy, but it was a great opportunity. I really enjoyed it, hopefully I get to do more of it in the future.”
On venturing into a career as a presenter, Tommy said, “It’s hard. It came through very fast, I’m normally used to standing in front of a camera answering questions about rugby and things I know; it was difficult to learn a script and not fluff my lines.
“It was a new experience, that’s what it’s all about – pushing yourself in new avenues. You could tell Mairead and Vogue were pretty top notch compared to me, so I had a lot of catching up to do,” he added.
