Maura Derrane is poised for a complete comeback to RTÉ’s Today programme in the coming autumn, as Sinead Kennedy prepares to take maternity leave.
Sinead, who recently revealed her pregnancy, will be temporarily stepping away from the afternoon show to devote more time to her family life.
In September 2020, when Maura reduced her role as a presenter, Sinead was brought in to co-host alongside Daithi O’Sé on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Now, Maura is set to resume her full-time hosting duties, taking the reins every day until at least Christmas.
Maura told RSVP Magazine: “Yes, Sinead is pregnant, it is great news and I am very happy for her. She is due to go on maternity leave around a month after we get back.
“I have been asked if I could step back in full-time and I said I will until Christmas. It will be a big change because I will be gone all week, but Cal is a little older now and he has settled into Dublin.
“I changed to three days after we moved from Dungarvan. I feel like the show is my second baby so it will be nice to keep the continuity going up until Christmas, which is a very busy time for us.”
“I am excited about doing it full-time again. I feel a sense of responsibility towards the show in a good way and I feel passionate about it.”
Should Maura manage to sustain this arrangement until Christmas, she would contemplate extending it for the remainder of the year.
She mentioned that they would need to evaluate how it aligns with her husband John Deasy’s work commitments, since there’s a lot to manage.
Last year, John had extensive travel responsibilities in the United States, making it impractical, but now his travel obligations have reduced considerably.
The Today host has been married to John since 2005, and the couple share a nine-year-old son named Cal.
