Daithi O Se says his son has no interest in watching him on the telly as he revealed what he told him when he asked if he was famous.
The popular presenter is one of the best known men in Ireland, fronting RTE’s flagship afternoon show, Today, alongside Maura Derrane and Sinead Kennedy, and the Rose of Tralee every August.
But the Kerry man said there is one person who doesn’t care about any of his high profile jobs on the screen - his son Mícheál Óg - and he is happy to have it that way.
Read more: 'Love wasn't part of my plan' - Doireann Garrihy hints at new relationship
He told Irish Daily Mirror: “He doesn’t take one bit of notice. Not one bit. Dad’s shows on, ‘yeah put on Spongebob Square Pants instead’, he says.”
Asked if he has had others note his fame to his son, he added:
“There’s a bit of that.
“I asked Michael what are they saying [at school] he said ‘that you are famous’ and I said well what is more important and he said ‘that you love me’ and that is what it is.”
“He’s in third class and he’s in great aul form thanks be to god. He is a happy go lucky young fella and that’s what you want.
“Seeing him hanging out with his friends there is great, he’s in great aul form.”
It comes as the Galway based star, 46, who currently commutes to and from work at RTE’s Cork studios daily to present his afternoon TV show, said he has been working on creating a better work life balance in recent years.
This has included swapping our trips to Dublin for weekend MC gigs for the side lines of his son’s matches and quality time with his friends and family to unwind.
He said: “There’s always hurling training or something or other to go to and that’s all part of it. And part of this balance thing I am trying to do at the moment.
“There was a few busy weekends coming up to Christmas but you wouldn’t mind that you let them slide knowing you’ll be alright again after that.
“Being off at the weekends is great like. It is hard to get off a couch on a Saturday evening and drive to Dublin and put on a tuxedo and come back like, so I think you have to kind of say to yourself, if you are going to start enjoying life, enjoy it properly like.
“And mentally you never switch off, so there’s a reason why we take weekends off because we need time to relax and take it easy.”
The star said he felt himself getting close to burnout before making the decision to cut back on extra weekend work.
“100 percent,” he said.
“When you are tired going to work you have to say ‘ok there is something wrong here. You can’t be tired going to work all the time like. But the pandemic made me slow down and made a lot of people slow down as well.
“Just into the frame of mind of you know what, I don’t need to be actually killing myself at all. You have to find that balance. And if you do find it, you know what, you’ll be in a good spot after it.
“You realise. And it takes awhile for the penny to drop, actually I don’t need to be going all the time like.”
READ NEXT :
Social welfare: Four benefits to apply for in January if you've never qualified before
Jim Sheridan to make new documentary on murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier
Mum of toddler killed in car crash shares 'heartbreaking' photo of little girl's last Christmas
Get breaking news to your inbox by signing up to our newsletter
