Ireland’s top TV stars turn on the style for awards ceremony

BUBBLY Kathryn Thomas is the nation’s favourite woman presenter.

And Kathryn, the lead presenter of No Frontiers — the popular travel show now in its eighth series — turned out in style on Saturday night for the inaugural Smart Telecom TV Now Awards.

The well-travelled woman swapped her shorts and bikini for a striking gold-sequined gown at the glittering black-tie ceremony in Dublin’s Mansion House.

The 26-year-old Carlow-born presenter was picked from a host of well-known TV presenters including Mary Kenny, Lorraine Keane and Miriam O’Callaghan.

Derek Mooney, who has presented the popular Saturday night game show Winning Streak, as well as You’re a Star, is the country’s favourite male TV presenter.

Mooney was the preferred choice in the telephone poll, beating veterans Pat Kenny and Mark Cagney as well as Ryan Tubridy and Eddie Hobbs.

TV3’s Claire Byrne was voted favourite news presenter and Martin King is the country’s favourite weather presenter.

And it was no surprise that the favourite Irish show is Podge and Rodge. The show is already a ratings winner for the way the ill-mannered duo torment Irish celebrities who dare to appear on it.

Favourite male soap star of the year was David Mitchell, who plays mechanic Jimmy Doyle in RTÉ’s soap Fair City.

A number of well-known British soap stars attended, including Coronation Street’s Wendi Peters (who plays Cilla Battersby) and Bruce Jones (Les Battersby), who were voted the country’s favourite soap couple.

Coronation Street was voted the country’s favourite soap, while You’re a Star was the favourite reality show. The favourite drama was The Clinic and favourite documentary was Return to Tsunami.

The event was hosted by former TV3 presenter Amanda Byram who is now a prime-time TV presenter in the US.