James Kavanagh 'so ready' for move to Cork as he launches new TV show

Meanwhile co-host Carl Mullan has had a very busy 18 months between his dream gig, a wedding and a new baby

James Kavanbagh and Carl Mullan presenters of brand new RTÉ 2 series 'Takeaway Titans', pictured at the RTÉ New Season Launch in the RDS Dublin. Picture Andres Poveda Photography

After a busy life in the capital, presenter and podcaster James Kavanagh is "so ready" for a quieter life in Cork.

The Dubliner's plans to relocate with boyfriend William Murray are well underway and it is looking like they may make the move within the year.

At the moment, the pair are looking at plots of land with the hopes of building a home in East Cork.

“I’m so ready for my vegetable patch and hens. I’m over the city life,” says Kavanagh.

“I’m just dying for hens. I can’t afford a garden in Dublin —not going to get hens in Dublin,” he jokes.

But for now, Kavanagh is preparing to launch his brand-new show  Takeaway Titans with RTÉ 2fm's Carl Mullan. The show is a celebration of the takeaways of Ireland as the pair track down the very best in the country.

Dylan McGrath, James Kavanagh, Suzie Lee and Carl Mullan of RTÉ 2's 'Takeaway Titans' pictured at the RTÉ New Season Launch in the RDS Dublin. Picture: Andres Poveda Photography

It has been a jam-packed 18 months for Kavanagh's co-host Carl Mullan — from bagging his dream gig to getting married, having a baby and now a brand-new TV show.

With so much happening so fast, the new dad admits he probably hasn’t had enough time to process it all but since taking a short break for his honeymoon earlier this year, he’s conscious of making an effort to “take it in”.

“In the last 18 months, I got the breakfast show gig which I know everyone says it’s a dream gig — honestly when I started in radio, to get the breakfast gig was the gig I always wanted,” he says.

“Then myself and my wife Ash got married; we had a baby. It’s just been absolutely wild. Things took off for me in terms of online and social media and it nearly all happened so fast — getting a TV gig — things that I never would have imagined.” 

The past 18 months have been “wild in the best way possible” but there was a point where the Dublin native almost gave up chasing the dream.

After finding out Ash was pregnant, the opportunity for the 2fm Breakfast Show had come up and had he not got it, things may have been different. 

“Had I not got the breakfast gig, at that point [I] was to say right, we’ve a baby on the way maybe I need to park chasing this dream because it takes a lot of time, and it takes a lot of energy."

Thankfully, it all worked out and Mullan is excited about the launch of the new TV show which will put takeaway chefs to the test as they go head-to-head in the kitchen. 

“If you were to film this show ten years ago, it would be completely different. Food has just rapidly changed in Ireland and this show is a total reflection of what kind of food is available now,” explains Kavanagh at the launch of RTÉ’s new season schedule.

"I think the pandemic has given us so many unbelievable food trucks and so many restaurants as well had to turn into takeaways during the pandemic because they couldn’t see people, so you get a good flavour of what’s out there, especially outside Dublin as well.” 

Takeaway Titans starts on September 8 on RTÉ 2.