Behind the scenes at Ireland AM: 'People wake up with us every morning — it’s such a privilege'

The country’s longest-running TV breakfast show continues to pull in viewers from 7 to 10 every morning. But what is it about the toast ‘n’ talk format that keeps people tuning in? Amanda Cassidy spent a morning on set in Ballymount with the Virgin Media sunrise crew to find out

Tommy Bowe, Muireann O'Connell and Alan Hughes, presenters of Virgin Media's Ireland AM. Picture: Nina Val

I tiptoe onto the side stage of the Ireland AM set behind Adham, one of the floor managers. My heart in my mouth, convinced that my phone will beep, even though it’s powered off.

There’s something about live TV; a fizz — the feeling that anything could happen. It’s an energy I’ve missed since I worked on Sky News Ireland years ago. 

I glance over to where I used to freelance on the news autocue back when it was TV3. I remember the heart-stopping fear as the cameras rolled.

But beyond the black curtain here in Studio 2, comes the sound of raucous laughter.

Tommy Bowe, Muireann O'Connell and Alan Hughes on the set of Virgin Media's Ireland AM. Picture: Nina Val

I check the running order. A large monitor to the right shows stylist Lorna Weightman on screen. She’s telling the presenters live on air about her upcoming fashion segment on ballet chic.

“What’s a plié?” Alan Hughes deadpans to the camera operators and floor managers just off-screen, who shake their heads. Lorna finally demonstrates. The familiar sting music for the break sounds, and she exits the set laughing.

“I didn’t think I’d have to do ballet on live TV this morning,” she says to me, smiling.

Welcome to the unpredictability and excitement of live breakfast television.

Ireland AM is the country’s longest-running breakfast television show. With over 200,000 viewers tuning in every morning between 7 and 10am, the show has recently celebrated 25 years on air. First broadcast in 2009, The Morning Show was presented by Martin King and Sybil Mulcahy.

Today the familiar jingle is what many of us start and set our day to.

Today’s Ireland AM presenters, Muireann O’Connell, Tommy Bowe, and Alan Hughes, bounce off one another in a way that is impossible to feign. 

Tommy teases Muireann for reapplying her lipstick in the few moments on the ad break. She play-swats him and reaches for a giant water vessel concealed behind the iconic burgundy sofa. 

While they set up for the make-up segment during the ad break, Tommy is on set where chef Catherine Leyden has just made fresh Guinness bread. “One minute,” the floor manager calls.

‘Would you be a butter or mustard-on-your-bread kind of person?’ Tommy inquires of me, slathering a piece of the warm bread with butter and taking a bite.

“Ah you’re not eating again, are you Tommy?”Alan Hughes quips from his perch on the couch where he has one eye on the iPad scrolling through the running order.

“Welcome to the zoo,” laughs Derek, one of the two floor managers on set this morning. 

Tommy Bowe, Muireann O'Connell and Alan Hughes in front of the camera on Virgin Media's Ireland AM. Picture: Nina Val

Like the others, he is wearing a headpiece which communicates with the gallery — the beating heart of a show like this. It’s there that the director and producers will create on-screen graphics, switch camera angles, and generally be the reassuring voice in the ears of presenters.

There are three cameras on set with huge wires snaking across the floor. They can easily and silently be manoeuvred from three main areas; the sofa, the kitchen area and the fashion set.

“Twenty seconds,” someone calls. I quickly choose butter, almost choking in my haste to swallow it before we are back on air. I check my phone’s blank screen again. Just in case.

“I bring sausage rolls every morning,” Pete, the camera operator, tells me with a grin as everyone gets into place. “I get them in Supervalu for everyone.”

“Stop trying to impress the journalist,” Muireann shoots in her Dooradoyle drawl. “She’s hardly going to put that in the article.”

The glamorous presenter leaps up to give Anna Geary a hug as the sports star arrives on set in a stunning pink suit. Anna is here to talk about her new book Anna’s Game Plan. I concentrate on not making a sound as the interview airs.

“There’s a preconception that morning television might be considered ‘fluffy’,” I say to the presenters as we chat after the show in the Green Room.

“I think because it’s a magazine show, people might make light of it,” explains Tommy. “But at the same time, you are covering extremely difficult topics and trying to get people to open up about say, grief.”

He’s talking about the sensitively handled interview that day with Geary about losing both her father and younger brother within a short space of time.

“You are trying to delve into really deep topics but also try to bring viewers along for some really fun things too. I found it a huge challenge,” Bowe admits. 

“I come from a sporting background and then got into sports broadcasting, but Ireland AM is a different beast altogether because you are covering such an array of topics.

“You are going from light topics to dark, throwing to break, without trying to upset people. It’s three hours of live television. Your brain has to be 100% switched on because particularly in this day and age, one slip of the tongue… If you say the wrong thing it will be picked up immediately.”

“Ten siblings….” Muireann sing-songs next to him, referring to a blooper moment Bowe had on air that went viral. “Yeah,” Tommy laughs. 

“But yes, it’s a big step to go from what I was doing to morning television, and I’ve loved it. It might not be the same buzz as running out in the Aviva Stadium, but there’s a real adrenaline kick when you talk to hundreds of thousands of people on a daily basis live on this show.”

Muireann O'Connell on the set of Virgin Media's Ireland AM. Picture: Nina Val

The presenters’ days begin early. They have a morning briefing with the producers before going over notes ahead of the show. Then it’s make-up and styling and another run-through of the morning’s topics, breaking stories, newspaper briefings and guest line-up.

“Yes, it’s tiring, but it’s like any job, you just get used to it,” Muireann points out. 

“I’ve actually found it easier to adjust to the morning routine than any other job I’ve had, probably because it’s so structured. I think the show is continuing to be so popular because we have become part of people’s routine. I talk to an awful lot of mums who are awake with young children, and they say that they like the company. They are sitting there at home with the child, (who are also watching it, by the way, and I think that’s because of Deric! I think kids love seeing him jumping around the screen).

“We provide that routine. People set their clocks to certain daily segments. But we are also providing information and even holding people to account because this is public service broadcasting. We have politicians coming in and we have questions we want to ask. We are all going through things in our own lives and just like those at home, we want to be here on behalf of people and ask the tough questions.”

“So it’s exactly like HBO’s The Morning Show,” I tease. Muireann sighs: “If only we had their wardrobe department…”

Virgin Media veteran Alan Hughes has been a regular fixture on the show since its inception 25 years ago. “I’ve seen lots of change over the years,” he admits. 

“Certainly, in the way the show is structured. I’d say there’s probably a lot more pace now, and more topics covered. But ultimately, it’s still the same offering in that it’s a magazine show and we flip the pages. We pivot quickly from anything from grilling politicians to discussing heart-breaking stories, then cooking or fashion or probing what’s in the papers. People wake up with us every morning. They feel as if we are part of their lives, even if the show is just on in the background. Accepting us into their homes like that is such a privilege. You feel very connected to the viewers.”

Muireann O'Connell, Alan Hughes, Amanda Cassidy and Tommy Bowe stop for a selfie backstage at Virgin Media's Ireland AM. Picture: Nina Val

And in the quarter of a century, he’s been here, Alan says he’s finally perfected the art of the nap.

“Forty minutes,” he reveals sagely. “…Or 20. But always in 20-minute cycles. That’s been my saviour.”

Denice McNamara oversees the production process of Ireland AM (weekday) from start to finish. In her role, she guides the team of presenters, producers and researchers in the vision, tone, style, content and overall direction of the show. 

“We’re part of people’s morning routines,’ she explains. “No two days are the same. We’re providing a public service; we’re giving people a national platform to share their voices about issues that may not otherwise be heard. We try to break down stigmas and stereotypes through the conversations we instigate. But mostly,” she points out, “we’re storytellers. We treat everything like a story, from how the show starts, to how it ends and how everything links in between — every segment and script and question has been thought through so it’s engaging, informing, entertaining and connecting with our viewers, because there’s really nothing more powerful.”

Once the show is over, the dynamic trio have to record a segment promo for the next day.

Alan wears a bright pink headband from his earlier interview with The Skin Nerd, Jennifer Rock who was on demonstrating TikTok Beauty Trends.

‘Let’s see if you can do this in the first take,’ Stephen the other floor manager calls with a grin.

“Stop pretending you don’t just ignore us for three hours every morning,’ Muireann jokes back. The studio smells like fresh bread and citrus facemasks.

Muireann, Tommy, and Alan do a quick rehearsal. Each presenter takes their turn until someone gets tongue-twisted and they all dissolve into laughter and affectionate name-calling.

‘Ok,” Stephen calls, “let’s do this for real.” All three sit up a little taller, they look to Camera One.

There’s a hush. The lights are bright. The energy fizzes.

“Five,” Stephen says aloud. “Four…” Then holding up his fingers. "Three, two, one…"