Shape I'm in: Anne Doyle

Anne Doyle, 61, is thriving on all fronts since she retired as news reader from RTÉ at the end of 2011. Between volunteering as an ambassador for her native county, Wexford, writing short stories and travelling — last stop Jamaica — life has been “surprisingly easy”. She had a flu six months ago. “It was very sapping, and when I recovered I found I was a bit aimless and felt I had to get some structure on my day. But it must have been the flu, because it passed,” says Anne, whose long-term partner is former restaurant owner, Dan McGrattan.

Anne Doyle will open the Active Retirement Ireland Trade and Tourism Show, at White’s of Wexford, on Tuesday Apr 9, from 12am to 6pm.

What shape are you in?

I would need to lose a stone — maybe a tiny little bit more. I am sure, one of these days, I will get a rush of willpower.

Do you have any health concerns?

I feel in good health and that’s all I can go by. I consider myself lucky. My only sister died before she was 50 and my eldest brother died in his 50s. They had different kinds of cancer. I didn’t expect to around this long, but I seem to be ploughing along, thank God.

What are your healthiest eating habits?

I like almost everything — except breakfast cereals. I am lucky enough to enjoy a wide variety of foods and, as a result, get a lot of what I need. I would eat very healthily if I halved everything on the plate. When I was growing up, you ate what was in season and that has its own advantages, too, in terms of health.

What is your guiltiest pleasure?

Terry’s chocolate orange — those lovely segments — gorgeous.

What would keep you awake at night?

I would, by nature, be a rather anxious person. Over the years, I have tried to get my head around that and try to switch off. Then, there is that awful thing at four in the morning when all the bushes are tigers. I find, if I think about the sea, it can help me. It’s my version of the sheep.

How to you relax?

I walk a lot, because I don’t drive. I am very lucky, I live beside the canal in Leeson Street, Dublin. You could not pick a nicer place. I also read a lot. I can lose myself in a book — my guilty pleasure is crime novels.

Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?

Donald Sutherland, because I absolutely adore him. Don’t ask me why, I can’t help myself. Usain Bolt, Ronan O’Gara, Marilyn Monroe, Christine Lagarde, former judge, Yvonne Murphy, a very charming woman and also extremely interesting and brave.

What is your favourite smell?

Old-fashioned roses — the roses that were in my aunt’s garden when I was a child.

What would you change about your appearance?

I have my father’s skin — that dry, Irish skin that is prone to broken veins. My mother was very sallow and I wouldn’t have minded having had her skin.

When did you last cry?

I shed a tear or two a few weeks ago, in pure temper — and I was completely in the wrong. It was something rather foolish I’d done and I didn’t care to be reminded of it. There is nothing like being in the wrong to make you really mad. You can be quite calm if you are right.

What trait do you least like in others?

Hypocrisy — I have no time for it.

What trait do you least like in yourself?

I am a little prone to sarcasm, which is not a nice quality. I can be fairly good at it, but I don’t say that with any pride. I could reign in my tongue a little bit more. My mother who was a great character, used to say, “Our Anne wouldn’t let her bone go with the dog”. This was said as an accolade.

Do you pray?

I pray to my guardian angel — the prayer we learnt as children. I say, ‘Okay it’s your problem now’.

What would cheer up your day?

A call from a friend. An unexpected meeting. I am a sociable kind of creature.