Yvonne Tiernan is stepping out from behind the camera and into the spotlight in her new chat show The Couch.
And it’s not just her treading new ground – a range of female stars, both Irish and International open up about their biggest truths and secrets in the six-part series, exclusive to RTÉ Player.
Yvonne is joined by a glittering lineup of well-known Irish and international women including Jo Malone, Sharon Horgan, Maia Dunphy and Celia Holman Lee chat about a range of topics close to women’s hearts including motherhood, love, beauty, relationships and wisdom.
We caught up with Yvonne, (who is also Tommy Tiernan’s wife and manager) to chat about scary new territory, her inspirations and her favourite telly.
You’ve worked a lot behind the scene as Tommy’s manager, how does it feel to step into the spotlight yourself?
At first it felt very strange, scary even, it sometimes still does, but it’s also a lot of fun and I’m making sure to enjoy every single minute of it as an experience as you never know how long these things will last.
What were your inspirations behind the show?
To create an interview series that felt different to other Irish chat shows. So, no audience, a lot of time given to each guest, normally about 2 hours, a small closed set, filmed on location in a real home surrounded by things from my own house. I also wanted the look and style to be something new to Irish screens, a bright airy feel inspired by US TV. Great lighting was really important to get away from that studio look and I was blessed to have been able to surround myself with an immensely talented crew.
Did you expect your guests to be so forthcoming and honest or were you surprised with how candidly they spoke?
I really had no idea what to expect as I had never done this before. Each guest was different, a different pace, a different feel, all were so generous and every one of them surprised, enthralled and enlightened me somehow during our conversations.
Who in particular surprised you and maybe challenged your preconceptions?
I tried not to have any preconceptions about them and go into each interview very open and coming from a good place of genuine interest in that particular guest. After 14 hours of conversations with those 7 women I really couldn’t pick just one out. They each gave me food for thought at some point.
There is a notion of Irish women as maybe a little less comfortable opening up about intimacy and sex than their international counterparts… did you notice this?
I’m not sure sex came up that much in our conversations but not because it was being avoided, probably because I am more interested in asking questions about how we feel about our emotional relationships, our childhoods, our relationships with our family, how we are as mothers, how we feel about our own bodies changing. I don’t think it would have felt natural to me to ask someone I just met about their sex life, in fact I don’t think I even thought about it. It’s not really any of my business.
You have a lot in common with Maia Dunphy, did you enjoy that interview?
I really did although I was terrified as it was my very first interview and I’m so glad it was with Maia as she made it so easy for me. She is so bloody smart and fast and funny that we just bounced off each other. I am a big fan.
When you’re on the couch… what are you watching? (Favourite TV shows)?
I really enjoy Maia’s RTÉ documentaries and they are getting better and better. I love Sharon Horgan’s show “Catastrophe” as it makes me laugh out loud. I like the US show “The Affair”, I love the series “Nashville” and “True Detective” especially for the music and it has to be said I am a Downton and Emmerdale girl who is prone to a bit of Horse & Country.
Exclusive to RTÉ Player, all episodes of The Couch are available to view now on RTÉ Player or through the RTÉ Player app available for free download for iOS and Android devices.
