Jennifer Zamparelli: Why I have become more comfortable saying no to work

Presenter Jennifer Zamparelli shares an insight into her family life, her ease at turning down certain opportunities, and why she won't be invited to one of her husband's work dos again

Jennifer Zamparelli. Photograph Moya Nolan

Radio and television presenter Jennifer Zamparelli says she has become comfortable saying no to offers of work so she can spend more time with her family.

Zamparelli, who presents family quiz show Home Advantage on RTÉ One, says her husband spends half the year travelling for his job as a stuntman and she prioritises time with her family over work opportunities.

“We try and have as much balance as we can and try not to say yes to so many things,” she says, adding her work in media often leads to other opportunities. “All these other things come along: you want to host this event, you want to go to this, you want to go to that. I feel my time is precious and I'm very reluctant to give that up.” 

She says there is a misconception among many women in media that they need to say yes to everything to ensure they keep getting work but Jennifer believes there is enough work for everyone, particularly in a country so small that “people get bored at looking at you” on television.

"When you get going in this business, you're afraid you're going to be forgotten about or someone else is going to take your place but what I've learned is there's a space for everyone. Especially with women, some women get pretty hung up there being so few jobs or competition. 

Jennifer Zamparelli presents quiz Home Advantage

"There’s space for everyone and everyone's so different. Don't worry about that anymore. You don't have to be seen, this country is so small anyway, people get bored at looking at you,” she jokes.

“It's nice, I don't feel pressure to do anything. I do what I want, which is great.” 

Jennifer says she doesn’t want to repeat the mistakes of her 20s, when she says she was “running on empty”.

“I'm very conscious that I don't go back to bad habits because it's very easy to forget. After the pandemic we all learned to slow down a bit, but we fall into old habits very, very quickly. When I was in my 20s I was just running on empty. I was doing everything and running around and going everywhere and things suffered, which I'm not willing to let happen again," she says, adding she missed big family events in that time.

“I would never let that happen now. I suppose your priorities change as well. It's impossible to do everything. You’ve just got to choose and get you get more comfortable saying no to things. I find I've gotten comfortable saying no to things. And not just work things, that's going out with friends or whatever. I'm just back from a weekend with my gal pals and that's been planned for two years, I think. Just making space and time for things that are going to bring you joy, as corny as that sounds.” 

Jennifer Zamparelli with her husband, Lauterio

Jennifer has two children, Florence and Enzo, with her husband, stuntman and actor Lauterio. She says he spends up to six months travelling for work each year while she stays at home and as a result she says she is in awe of single parents.

“He has to go where the work is. But he's very good: he's in Italy at the moment so he's home every weekend. When he does the States, that’s the hardest because it's too far to pop home and the kids are getting a little older so they pine for him a little bit. But I'm getting through it, I don't know how single parents do and I take my hat off - I have so much help but it is full-on.” 

Lauterio’s career has seen him film with Hollywood greats like Chris Pine and Martin Scorsese, and Jennifer says her job pales in comparison in the eyes of her children, and even in her own eyes.

“Dad has a way cooler job. Talking on the radio and presenting something doesn't sound as cool as being a stuntman, obviously,” she says.

However, Jennifer says she rarely gets brought along to meet his famous coworkers, and for a good reason.

"He brought me to meet Andre 3000 when he was doing a movie here, and he said I'll never take you to a wrap party ever again. I was fangirling over him and it was a free bar and I drank too much. I literally fell right in front of him. Your man had to pick me up and was like, ‘We'll never go to one of these again’.” 

• The final episode of season two of Home Advantage airs this Saturday on RTÉ One at 8.35pm, and Jennifer is on air weekdays 9am to 12pm with Jennifer Zamparelli on 2FM.