Miriam O'Callaghan | |
|---|---|
 O'Callaghan in 2015 interview | |
| Born | 1959 or 1960 (66–67) |
| Education | Law |
| Alma mater | University College Dublin |
| Employer | RTÉ |
| Spouse(s) | Tom McGurk (1983–1995) Steve Carson (2000–present) |
| Children | 8 |
| Relatives | Jim O'Callaghan (brother) |
Miriam O'Callaghan (born 6 January 1960)[1] is an Irish televisioncurrent affairs presenter withRTÉ.
O'Callaghan has presentedPrime Time since 1996, and her own summer talk show,Saturday Night with Miriam, from 2005 onwards. In the summer of 2009, she began a radio show,Miriam Meets..., since replaced by live showSunday with Miriam. She is also the first woman to present a full episode ofThe Late Late Show.
O'Callaghan received her Bachelor of Civil Law in 1979 and a Diploma in European Law in 1981.[2]
Her brother, politicianJim O'Callaghan is aFianna FáilTD[3][4] and since 24 January 2025 has served asMinister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration.[5] Her sister, Anne, had cancer and died aged 33.[6]
O'Callaghan worked for British national broadcaster theBBC[7] before returning to Ireland after being headhunted by RTÉ in 1993 to presentMarketplace, an economics and business programme.[8] She worked on the first series ofITV'sTonight with Sir Trevor McDonald until 1999. Since 1996, RTÉ secured her services exclusively as the presenter ofPrime Time.[9]
In 2005, she began the first series of her own summer talk show,Saturday Night with Miriam. O'Callaghan made her debut as a radio presenter on 11 July 2009 on the programme,Miriam Meets, to run for eight weeks.[10][11] It was confirmed in August 2009 that the programme would return permanently toRTÉ Radio 1 on Sunday mornings.[12] In 2013, she stood in as a long-term replacement on RTÉ Radio One in the daily morning slot from 9 am to 10 am when presenter John Murray was on extended sick leave. After this she was given a new live Sunday morning radio show on RTÉ Radio One from 10am until 11am.
In 2011, O'Callaghan fronted RTÉ's coverage ofQueen Elizabeth II's state visit to Ireland in May 2011,[13] and in October of that year hosted thePrime Time debate with the seven candidates standing in the2011 Irish presidential election.[14] Her treatment ofMartin McGuinness resulted in more than 100 complaints to RTÉ.[15]
She hosted RTÉ's 50th anniversary party on New Year's Eve 2011, attended byPresident of IrelandMichael D. Higgins andJedward.[16][17]
During theCOVID-19 pandemic, she hostedThe Late Late Show whenRyan Tubridy was unavailable. She was the first female presenter of a full episode of the show (Marian Finucane having presented part of an episode on 15 November 1980).[18][19]
O'Callaghan hosted the RTÉ Leaders Debate for the2020 Irish general election. RTÉ defended O'Callaghan against accusations of bias, her brother was standing for re-election as a Fianna Fáil candidate.[20] She will host the final debate of the2024 Irish general election with government party leaders TaoiseachSimon Harris, TánaisteMícheál Martin andLeader of the OppositionMary Lou McDonald.[21]
O'Callaghan's earnings from her work with RTÉ were €307,000 as of 2011,[22] which were reduced to €263,500 as of 2023.[23]
O'Callaghan married her first husband,Tom McGurk, in 1983[24] and they separated in 1995 after having four daughters.[25] She met her second husband,Steve Carson, while working onNewsnight. In 2000, they married and set up their own television company, Mint Productions.[26] She has four sons with Carson.[25]
She published her autobiographyMiriam: Life, Work, Everything in October 2025.
In 2003, she won the Television Personality of the Year Award at theIrish Film and Television Awards.[27]
O'Callaghan was awarded an honorary Doctor of Letters (D.Litt.) degree by theUlster University inDerry on 5 July 2011.[28]University College Cork conferred to her an Honorary Doctor of Laws by University College Cork in June 2017. In 2015, she was awarded UCD Alumnus of the Year in Law fromUniversity College Dublin.[2]
She has won theRTÉ Guide Style Award in 2012.[29]
{{cite web}}:Check|archive-url= value (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)Although a new Deputy, Mr O'Callaghan has been a member of the Fianna Fáil leadership team over the past five years in his role as the party's legal adviser.