Lucy Kennedy on Living with Lucy, New Novel and Turning 50
Broadcaster Lucy Kennedy returns to Virgin Media on November 1 with a new series of Living with Lucy, kicking off the run with music manager Louis Walsh in Barcelona, rte.ie reported.
Filming a Weekend in Barcelona with Louis Walsh
The upcoming season premiere places Kennedy and Walsh together for a weekend in Spain, where their contrasting habits quickly surfaced. Kennedy wanted to sunbathe while Walsh avoids the sun; she drank wine while he abstained; and she sought out resting spots while he preferred sightseeing. Kennedy recalled having to stop production multiple times during the trip, telling Walsh they could not use certain moments on camera. Despite the friction, she described the weekend as filled with laughing and good chats, noting that when Walsh decides to let someone in, he really lets them in.
Louis and I met and bonded on Ireland’s Got Talent, and every time before I went out live, when I’d be pacing behind the curtain, he’d say, ‘Good luck, Noel Fielding.’ He thinks I’m the absolute image of him. I think it’s the hair and maybe the eyebrows.
— Lucy Kennedy
Walsh has repeatedly told Kennedy that she resembles Great British Bake-Off co-host Noel Fielding, a comparison Kennedy conceded after Walsh met Fielding in person.
Reflecting on Fifty and Shifting Formats
Turning 50 this year has shifted Kennedy’s approach to broadcasting and personal boundaries. Reflecting on a difficult 2016 television encounter with far-right political commentator Katie Hopkins, Kennedy stated that she was younger and more naive at the time and allowed disagreements to obstruct conversation. Now, she feels equipped to sit comfortably with people she disagrees with, emphasizing that open discussion remains essential.
After fronting the conventional studio series Unfiltered for four weeks on Virgin Media, Kennedy confirmed that her heart remains with Living with Lucy. She prefers the immersive format where she spends days developing a relationship with her guest, noting that she can bypass polite professional distance by letting her guard down within the first three minutes.
Writing an Adult Novel After Eleven Children’s Books
Alongside her weekday breakfast radio slot on Ireland’s Classic Hits alongside Colm Hayes, Kennedy has expanded her writing career into adult fiction. Following eleven published children’s books, she wrote her first adult novel, The Mini Breakers, after finding inspiration on a sun lounger during a family holiday in Portugal two years ago. Rising early to secure a spot by the pool while her husband Richard Governey and their children slept, she observed her surroundings and began drafting ideas on her phone. The resulting book draws loosely on trips with her close female friends.
