Exhausted Maxi back on airwaves

POPULAR radio presenter Maxi, who is recovering from chronic exhaustion, has returned to the airwaves — on a temporary basis.

Just before Christmas, the former singer presented Driving Home for Christmas, taking listeners home with music, chat and travel news.

However, all this week, she has filled in on the Ronan Collins’ midday slot— much to the delight of many listeners who sent their best wishes to her during the RTÉ Radio One show.

Maxi, 61, whose real name is Irene McColbrey, presented Risin’ Time for more than a decade before disappearing from the airwaves last October after falling ill.

The early shift — one of the toughest radio gigs— meant that Maxi had to get up at 3.30am every day.

She recently told RTÉ Radio 2 presenter Dave Fanning that experts told her that her incredibly early morning start was against the “circadian rhythm” and had led to chronic exhaustion.

Meanwhile, popular RTÉ Radio 1 Morning Ireland presenter Áine Lawlor, who is recovering from breast cancer, returned to Morning Ireland on Thursday to introduce a look back at events of 2011.

The mother-of-four also posted a message on RTÉ’s website thanking the many listeners who sent good wishes for her recovery, especially those who came through their own “gruelling cancer treatments” and those who wrote from abroad.

Ms Lawlor, who announced last October that she was taking a break from Morning Ireland for treatment, has continued to do other work for RTÉ.