Dáithí Ó Sé: Remember people bringing baby oil on holiday…what were we doing?
Speaking to Extra.ie, the Rose of Tralee presenter laughingly recalled how taking baby oil on a sun holiday was perfectly normal behaviour not too long ago, but that now is largely a thing of the past.
He said he's gone from 'the odd splash' of factor 10 sunscreen to factor 50 every time he leaves the house, since a cancer scare two years ago. Dáithí Ó Sé. Pic: Supplied
Ó Sé told Extra.ie he doesn't 'go out any day now without factor 50', all year round. He added: 'I think people are getting a bit better at it all along, and eventually, I think it will stick.
'If you go back 10 years, there was nobody talking about this at all, or there wasn't as much. I remember people going on holiday years ago, bringing baby oil. Jesus, what are you doing? So the way we think about it has changed and is changing and needs to change more. It's very simple to just put the thing on and then you can go enjoy yourself.
'Even if it's a cloudy day, even if I'm sitting inside in the car, it's factor 50 in the morning and factor 50 in the afternoon, and even on the back of my hand when I'm driving the car.' Dáithí Ó Sé. Pic: Supplied
The TV presenter noticed a 'tiny' lump on his eyebrow some years back and brushed it off as an ingrown hair or something similarly minor.
But in early 2023, a professional examination confirmed it was more serious.
He said: 'It was only two millimetres, so I didn't think it could be much. I thought the specialist was going to freeze it out or give me some kind of cream. But she said 'No, it's going to have to come out.' I was going, 'What's going on here?'' Dáithí Ó Sé. Pic: Miki Barlok/RTE
In removing the lump, which turned out to be a localised carcinoma, doctors had to cut into the muscle around Ó Sé's eyebrow, leaving him with three internal stitches and six on the outside.
'I asked [the specialist], 'What caused this?' And she said it was sun damage from start to finish – not wearing enough sun cream?' Ó Sé said.
The popular host admitted he 'might not have taken much notice' of warnings linking sun exposure to cancer around 10 years ago, adding: 'I'd have been thinking 'I'm not getting burned, I'm fine.' That's not the case at all.'
The 49-year-old continued that he had 'never really had the time to be lying around sunbathing, but if I was going out it was always a factor 10 or factor 15 that I was group. And only three in 10 men in that age group use sunscreen regularly during the summer, compared to half of women.
The research found that men aged 18 to 35 are also chronic under-users of sunscreen, and Ó Sé puts that down to 'an educational thing'.
The Kerryman also revealed that he has adopted other healthy habits in the run-up to presenting the 2025 Rose of Tralee.
He said: 'There's no drink or anything until it's all over for me. It's just a very busy time. I want to keep my head in a good place, so I'm minding myself.'
But the 13-time host laughed that when he is 'ready to go on the beer on Tuesday night after the Rose is announced', the participants are then 'wrecked from being out all week'.
He revealed: 'I'm there [saying] 'Come on lads, I've been waiting for this now'.'
Ó Sé said the 66-year-old pageant will always be 'close to his heart' as he started dating his now wife Rita two years after she competed as the 2008 New Jersey Rose, and they now have an 11-year-old son, Micheál Óg.
Despite ever-growing criticism of the festival – seen as outdated and regressive by some – he believes it 'defends itself really'.
He said: 'It has had everything thrown at it for the last 20, 30 years about being out of date and everything. For me, why it's important and it works is that it is a celebration of Irish women. And when is a celebration of Irish women out of date? Never,' he added.
The host said that looking back through previous competitions illustrates the change in career options and life experiences of Irish women and those of the diaspora over the past few decades, adding that there is still a 'huge amount' of appetite for the festival around the country.
Ó Sé added: 'It's a really positive appetite as well, and I think people are beginning to see it for what it is. There's always begrudgers, but you're going to have begrudgers in every walk of life. And they're entitled to their opinion too.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Independent
an hour ago
- Irish Independent
Pensioner (74) jailed for five years for ‘predatory' sexual abuse of three young girls in Donegal
Ruth Medjber: After breaking an ankle on tour, I can tell you the difference between a US and Irish hospital – drugs, bills and even more drugs
RTÉ News
an hour ago
- RTÉ News
Further batches of spinach recalled over listeria
Batches of two further spinach products sold in Irish supermarkets have been recalled due to the detection of listeria monocytogenes. The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has issued alerts for two further products, one by McCormack Family Farms and another by Fresh Choice. The following batches of 500g McCormack Family Farms Irish Spinach Leaves have been recalled: L199, L200, L202, L203, L204 and L205. While Fresh Choice Market Spinach Leaves 100g with the following use-by dates have also been recalled: 25/07/2025, 26/07/2025, 27/07/2025, 28/07/2025, 29/07/2025, 30/07/2025 and 31/07/2025. The FSAI has requested that retailers remove the implicated products from sale, and display recall notices at point-of-sale. Wholesalers and distributors are being asked to contact their affected customers and recall the affected products and put a recall notice in place. Caterers who may be in possession of the impacted products have been asked not to use them, while consumers are advised not to eat them. The FSAI has said there is currently "no evidence that this food recall is linked with the listeriosis outbreak related to ready-to-heat meals that is currently under investigation". Over 200 ready-made meals produced by Ballymaguire Foods were called back early last week. The authority said that one person with a confirmed case of listeria died, while nine other cases were identified as of Tuesday last week. The FSAI's latest update follows a recall yesterday of seven spinach and mixed leaves products following detection of harmful bacteria Listeria monocytogenes. The FSAI said that symptoms of listeria can include mild flu-like symptoms such as gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. Symptoms can be more severe in rare cases, it added. "Some people are more vulnerable to listeria monocytogenes infections, including pregnant women, babies, and people with weakened immune systems, including the elderly. "The incubation period (time between initial infection and first symptoms appearing) is on average three weeks but can range between 3 and 70 days," said the FSAI. The FSAI said today that to date, there are no cases of listeriosis associated with the spinach and mixed leaves products that were subject of yesterday's recall. How inspections are carried out The FSAI and official agencies carry out inspections of food production facilities and review all the control measures in place. This includes examining the testing regimes for listeria at the factory and also taking official control samples of food and equipment. These official control samples are tested for listeria monocytogenes in accredited laboratories run by the State. Where listeria monocytogenes is found in any official control samples, enforcement action is taken to minimise or eliminate the risk to consumers. "Precautionary recalls of food due to Listeria monocytogenes can be found by either the food business itself or the authorities and happen from time to time, reflecting the high level of awareness, control and testing that takes place in factory settings," the FSAI said.
The Irish Sun
8 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
What is listeriosis? – 8 symptoms of deadly infection as salads & spinach recalled amid outbreak probe after person dies
OVER 200 ready-made meals and multiple spinach and mixed leaves products have been recalled from Irish shops due to the possible presence of listeria monocytogenes. The potentially fatal bacterium can cause , and may result in mild flue-like symptoms or no symptoms at all in the affected person. Advertisement 3 The condition can affect some people more than others Credit: Getty 3 Here are 8 Listeria symptoms to watch out for Credit: Getty Listeriosis is an infection in the body caused by the bacteria Listeria monocytogene and usually comes from eating While all food types can be affected, the bacteria is most commonly found in chilled and ready to eat foods. Last week, nine people fell ill with the infection and one person passed away as health bosses probed an "extensive outbreak" . A full list of over 200 recalled ready-made meals and side dishes that were pulled from the shelves last week . Advertisement READ MORE IN HEALTH And all of the information surrounding the spinach and mixed salad leaves recall for the same reason can To kill listeria, food must be Although its rare, some people may catch Listeriosis from someone else who has it. For example, if they haven't washed their hands and then cook food that you consume. Advertisement MOST READ ON THE IRISH SUN Live Blog And close contact with What is Listeria and why is it dangerous? For some, Listeriosis has few or no symptoms, or mild problems that only last a few days. The infection is most commonly flu-like, with symptoms including a runny nose, a high temperature, aches, pains, or chills. In some cases, it can create gastronomical issues including nausea, vomiting, or diarrhoea. Advertisement For SYMPTOMS OF LISTERIA INFECTION SYMPTOMS of a listeria infection partly depend on where in the body that the infection happens. If it affects the gut, you might have: Diarrhea Upset stomach Vomiting These symptoms often start within a day of eating tainted food and they tend to go away within a few days. The germs that cause a listeria infection also can spread through the blood and into the brain and spinal cord. If this happens, you might have: Fever and chills Flu-like symptoms Diarrhea or an upset stomach Headache Stiff neck Confusion or changes in alertness Loss of balance Seizures And The good news is that Listeriosis is not serious for most people. But the people who have a higher risk of serious Advertisement newborn babies pregnant women people with a condition which weakens their immune system (cancer, diabetes, liver disease or kidney disease) people receiving treatment that could weaken their immune system (chemotherapy or steroid tablets) Risk also increases with age, meaning older people are more at risk of health complications from the infection. HOW TO TREAT Listeriosis usually goes away by itself within a few days. Those infected are advised to stay home if possible and drink a lot of liquid. Those who are at a higher risk of serious illness might need to take antibiotic medication. Advertisement But health bosses have shared some tips on how to avoid the infection. The first is to keep chilled, ready to eat foods cold in a working fridge. And those foods should be eaten within 24 hours of being taken out of the fridge. Food should also be eaten, cooked, or frozen before it's best before date. Advertisement And raw food should be kept separate from ready to eat food. WHAT IF I ATE THE FOOD? If you have eaten any recalled foods and are feeling well, you do not need to do anything. However, the FSA advise that you should seek medical advice if you become unwell within 70 days from the day of eating them. If you have eaten any recalled foods and you feel unwell, seek medical advice. Advertisement 3 The infection is caused by Listeria monocytogenes, often found in food Credit: Getty
