The shape I’m in: Lorraine Keane

IN TV land second chances don’t come knocking on your door very often.

So when Lorraine Keane was asked at short notice to step in for Lucy Kennedy to co-present TV3’s Late Lunch Live with Martin King, she didn’t blink and immediately said ‘yes’.

“I was on the show on Monday as an ambassador for Renault and within 24 hours I was back presenting it,” she says. “I wasn’t nervous. I knew I was in safe hands. I was presenting with Martin — we go back a long way together — and the team they have there is fantastic.”

Lorraine, 40, worked with TV3 for 11 years, earning high praise for her work on Xposé, before leaving in 2009 to spend more time with her children.

It was a breeze going back. “Walking through the door it felt like I was there yesterday because all of the guys that work there are my friends.”

So what does she see herself doing this time next year? “I don’t think too far ahead. You can’t. That’s the fun of it. The unknown is daunting but the unknown is also very exciting. It’s that adrenaline buzz that makes us all crazy enough to want to work in this business.”

Show business runs in her veins. Eamonn Keane, her dad, is a member of the enduring showband The Indians. And she is married to musician Peter Devlin of The Devlins. The couple have two daughters, Emelia, 10 and Romy, seven.

What shape are you in?

I look like I’m in much better shape than I actually am. I know how to hide and conceal the bits I don’t like.

With exercise I need to have a purpose at the end of it. There are times when I come back from holidays in the summer and I know I’ve put on 9lbs that need to be shifted — then I would go and do a proper exercise class once a week.

Do you have any health concerns?

No, thank God. I did have a back operation a couple of years ago where I got a disc removed. I woke up out of the anaesthetic and I haven’t had one ounce of pain since.

What are your healthiest eating habits?

I drink a lot of water throughout the day. I love fish. My two girls wouldn’t thank you for a Happy Meal. All they want is the toy in the box. They think a family treat is going for sushi.

What is your guiltiest pleasure?

Chocolate. Lily O’Brien’s and Butlers are my favourites. I’d be quite fussy. If I’m going to break the rules the treat needs to be up to scratch.

What would keep you awake at night?

I was never a worrier until I had children. Now there are times when I feel like a nervous wreck. I try not to sweat the small stuff — everything is small stuff compared to the health of your babies.

Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?

Gay Byrne, he’s a wonderful man; Oprah Winfrey; Coco Chanel; Bono, to entertain us in conversation and song; my granny who is 93, she would love to meet Gay; my husband — I need someone to jump up and down and fill all the glasses.

What is your favourite smell?

I’ve always liked jasmine and fig — the scent of the candles I buy all the time. I also love Jo Malone Grapefruit — it’s so refreshing. And Acqua di Parma — it’s more expensive than Jo Malone’s but it would last longer.

What would you like to change about your appearance?

I would like to be more well endowed. It’s more flattering to have a womanly figure. I prefer my back to my front because I don’t really have a front. I always wear backless clothes — I reverse into a room.

When did you last cry?

I cried when Marge broke up from Homer, that’s how bad I am. At the moment we are watching with the children the box set of Little House on the Prairie — every single episode, I whinge.

What trait do you least like in others?

I don’t like bad manners and meanness.

What trait do you least like in yourself?

Lack of patience — I’d love to have the patience that Peter has.

What would cheer up your day?

A hug from the girls. A smiley face — it’s funny how a smile is genuinely contagious. But not before 9am on a Saturday or Sunday morning.