what's in your lunchbox & choosing a creative path ft. Kevin Twomey

Intro in Dublin you feel like it's Progressive and then when you come here you're like actually no I can be myself and it is Progressive but like you feel like see the thing is the biggest thing in Ireland I think is and it's one of the biggest insults that we had growing up was doesn't she love herself you know I mean still going I still get still going on doesn't she love herself or whatever so sometimes you're half afraid to like just on a regular day if you're just doing an ordinary activity to dress up and look gorgeous or the backhanded compliments when I used to work in retail there was this guy now he was a bit [ __ ] In fairness but he would be like retail doll like I I wish I had the time in the morning like you I wish I had the effort do you know in the mornings if I'm back home in Cork and I make an effort with my breakfast if I like you know do a bit of like a avocado moment porch the eggs my mom goes she don't you have a great life and I'm like what poring eggs and I'm like anyone can do this if they get up a half an hour earlier it's not that I live a life of luxury that I'm just strolling about my morning making poed eggs like anyone can do it I know and what does she have for breakfast she would only ever have like a bit of toast and corn flakes oh what are my mom no sometimes oh actually no my mom's a sparrow like full on Sparrow oh no but all moms are like I had to bit of yogurt and a teaspoon of granola you know they're like toddlers but what's it about or we'll be having dinner together and my mom will be slaving over the ovov right and we'll come to EA in the lasagna and then she'll go she won't put out any for herself and I'll be like you know hav an in she like I ate earlier i' i' um I something big at lunch and I'm like what did you have and it's just a standard lunch or it's like a scone or it's a scone know I had a huge scone at lunch my mom's always hated cooking at home so childhood trauma now that my sisters are like adults and live with her she always expects them to make dinner so they're not there she literally I come over and she go do you know what I had for dinner last night kayn that's gas listen a packet of crisps and a pound but I think that's what they do my mom's the samees and then my mama said she like she's have to get into such a habit because most of us are moved out of the Gaff as well so my other brother who's at home if he's not staying around for dinner she'd be like just pop to the chipper got a small bag of chips she just have a bag of chips I'm like actually is that kind of iconic no it is treat yourself are we we're talking into this because we are talking right we're talking now also yeah are we having a bit of a Prelude Preamble about what we're actually getting into or is it f no no it's fine there's no structure is it just having the chat of Kean it's just having the chat of Kean I love that I kind of focus a little bit now because it's called growing up yeah I like to do a little bit on trauma no no trauma and how you've overcome this this is a picture of you as a kid what would you like to say to him what's your biggest drama your biggest tramatic story challeng so how has your child trauma affected your everyday relationships in your adult life no let me take them off silly how what were you like as a kid sort of thing I'd love to know like what was in your lunch box at school oh do you know yeah and then hopefully people start talking about the trauma usually in yeah okay fantastic I love that yeah I'm going is that a question you asking every year no I've just thought of that for you I think that's brilliant yeah I think it's actually really insightful and then you have the kids growing up who like pack their own lunch going to school you know and had to grow up really fast or you know some of the kids who parents was true my f were coming into school or like in the height of the Celtic Tiger new it lands and they were like literally spending 20 quid in the shop before school every day and you're like who's giving you 20 quit you're a child do you know what I mean yeah it's like Peak el Tiger yeah Peak I remember uh Starbucks came in boycott now boycott boycott also stop going to the starbooks anyway the coffee sh it is and also stop making your personality the novelty though when I was I was just on Tumblr I was about 13 14 you are such a Tumblr kid AR you I am you're the Tumblr girl luckily it didn't affect me too much other than the Starbucks thing I was just like actually I love capitalism this is going to sound so embarrassing but it it was it was like the cool thing because you know it was from America right or in American it was like oh that's what the Americans are doing I used to have before there was even a Starbucks in Ireland I used to have a Starbucks screen saver on my phone cuz I was like isn't this so [ __ ] cool and I was like look at me with my Starbucks screen and it's so embarrassing actually to even admit like how embarrassing is that but they did such a good job at advertising that they made Starbucks a cool thing The Branding was so cool whereas now I think it's actually is it not the most basic thing that you can be kind of doing or be seen doing is going around with your Starbucks cough I hopefully now it's a bit embarrassing I would hope that bit embarrassing well you'd be surprised the thing is I think bring back shame some people aren't ashamed enough of themselves sometimes but we're I think we're shaming for the wrong things at the moment shaming for the wrong things at the moment yeah we need Alternative forms of Shame yeah we should be shaming for shaming shaming for shaming absolutely let people get on with their lives follow for follow shame for shame for sh shame for shame um no smoking but I was influenced more in the Tumblr era to smoke the marber red advertising branding [ __ ] yeah I loveed that I was smoking out my window as a teenager my mom caught me and took my box what age I was 16 she caught me took my box of smokes but I had another box in my bedside table because my parents were divorced at this stage and you know my dad would get the guilt and he would just give me cash the other time he would just you know he's like I can't spend time with you but here's some money right so I was like it's time for me to spend this on siggies on siggies and weed so I can impress boys and was this at the time where you could still get a packet of cigarettes in the P you know in the machines the F they were only five quid weren't they I was nearly influenced oh you weren't a smoker I actually found it AB like I completely despise smoking I used to rip up my M both of my parents smoked all the time when I was growing up yeah and I used to rip up their cigarettes I used to be able to stand the smell yeah oh you didn't like the smell hated the smell hated everything about it and I used to be this is so weird I was so like overly aware of my own health as a child oh it's really really weird and like I used to get like fixated on like you know the latest health craze even though like I was a and I was like mostly just eating all the food that my man prepared for me and also I didn't really touch a vegetable for my um teenage years really okay but um I remember being like I i' actually this is going to sound crazy I've never actually smoked a cigarette in the entirety of my life I've never been on a night out and been locked and gone will give us a drag off your [ __ ] I've never smoked a cigarette that's brilliant no but isn't it kind of crazy and now because I've just reached a point in my life where I haven't smoked a cigarette and I'm 31 I'm like well I'm going to have to not smoke for the rest of my life yeah but then I'm like oh my God what about the little Vapes the little watermel I'm I'm known to have a little puff of a vape um of a night out if I'm in the smoking area with the girls or whatever or at a festival yeah I usually come home the end of it and I'm like What's with these four Vapes in my bag you know what I mean so I don't I can get them for a vape because it's a fruity smell the smell doesn't put me off yeah yeah fruity smell yummy yum yummy yummy yum and that's the thing that's where they get us and if they make them yummy yeah and they make them so cute like I just think they're so cute to be like a little accessory sometimes you know when you're leaving the Gaff and you're like okay I have a bag is there any way I could like dress up this outfit another bit you're like pop a vape in your hand girls a a splash of color Yes but don't Vape no but it' be gorgeous now as a keychain or vape something a little keychain a little charm for the phone yeah charm for the phone with the Starbucks background wallpaper my God [ __ ] the road phone cases you can get one Stu with the Vape a VAP holder v a vape or if you're an entrepreneur there phone holder that is a vape yes phone case that's a vape yes yeah you can actually you can actually just pop your phone into n there's too much radiation in it now I'm friended cuz I'm going have we started we have haven't we really that's the part I think let's wrap things up mini sod that's perfect that's perfect that's it do you do an intro or anything are you manic I manic obviously you don't even go hello no Keen literally has even said hi to me since I saw her five minutes ago and I came into the room she just sat down and just expected me to start talking because it's supposed to be just like a normal conversation it's not supposed to be an interview yeah also whats in your lunchbox did you did you let people know that we just paid £135 for the C I know don't no don't tell people to secret we have to boycott I mean not boycott we have to Gaye keep we have to gatekeep I'm getting my bz words wrong I'm back for Gaye keeping Gaye keeping is in in 2024 um so what you tell me what was in your lunch box in school in my lunch boox in school my dad In fairness to him used to make all of our lunch right so typically it would be a ham sandwich nothing fancy yeah um there wasn't even cheese in it white bread for the most part I'd say maybe come fifth or sixth class we made a turn to the multigrain I me or the half and half or the half and half it was probably there I didn't go full wack Brown yeah um so I used to have ham sandwich a banana a packet of crisps which was typically uh Burger Bites y or we also used to have wheelies one of those alternated between the two sometimes chickies remember chickies they're so good God this is actually such a a great question to like spin me back to the past and then I would always have a chocolate Bear right so it' be like pin bar a purple snack or a penguin oh but then I got into the habit now if John Fitz or part of his family listens to this podcast I don't think John does but perhaps his sister might they're probably thinking I can't believe he's going on about this again because he has mentioned this so much and the poor boy John who was in my class probably can't even remember doing this but I used to swap him I used to give him like a purple snack and he'd give me a slice of madira cake I was living it up oh my God I was living the dream I was living like a king it was good trade I was like it didn't make sense to me that he was willing to give me maybe he just craved chocolate a bit well you just I suppose you get the sick of the same thing every day yeah absolutely also I was the type of kid like I don't know how they expected children right to exercise self-restraint when it came to managing our lunches between a small and a big lunch like I was a greedy [ __ ] kid so I ate all my lunch at first break right used to always do it I might leave the banana for second lunch or whatever so then it came to whatever time in the day it was 1:00 and I'd be [ __ ] starving also because I was such a greaty kid as well there was definitely a few times when I was in primary school I went up to the teacher at second break and I was like teach I don't have any lunch like I forgot my lunch and she'd be like why didn't why didn't she come to me at like a first break and I'd be like I was too embarrassed and then there'd be a collection in the remember they used to do that they have a small bit of a collection in the class and they'd offer you up their treat and I'd literally be like thanks so much oh how embarrassing is that oh my God you're greedy go but also clever wasn't it very clever I was I was a bit greedy when I was younger that's stealy though it's res resourceful yeah absolutely and look I'm all the better for it like is Evolution like I I I F better than the rest of the kids in the class they were all wasting away to nothing yeah and I was I wasn't I was probably still one of the one of the weaklings really survival of the fittest survival of the fittest exactly I was a bit of a psychopath with with my lunch um always a bit of a control freak now my mom says that I was cooking dinners by the time I was four but you know my moms are just like you were so Advanced she was so Advanced she was right dinners she was like she was cooking dinners when she was four and writing screen plays when she was five you know but whatever with the screen plays but should you be left near a cooker at the age of four that was kind of expected us now of us now at the age of four oh you to be cooking now we cooking oh my god um we would be cooking but for my lunches now my dad would most of the time make the lunch and it would be like a grannery SED bread with clumps of butter and ham yeah um then I started making my own lunches because I was like I can't take this anymore so I would put slices of smoked salmon in a plastic bag [ __ ] off smoke salmon smoke salmon in a the poor girl sit next you in [ __ ] sco and I'd eat them with my hands no I'm getting sick yeah grapes chopped up into halves obviously because they're choking hazard were they the candy floss grapes from M&S that everyone was obsessed with in the Millennium do you remember that no everyone's like oh my God these grapes taste like candy floss no and all the gires had them I didn't no my parents didn't shop and m& really no we didn't neither but it was just thing I remember when the last brought him into school one day and and he was like try these they taste like candy floss and they t do they still have them I don't know if they do it's probably some genetically modified they're probably there probably translation in place in there realistically hopefully look but they tasted nice uh we didn't have the little chocolate bars or anything no packets crisps none of that in your home or in treat drawer your lunch both did you have a like a treat drawer we sometimes would always get eaten cuz I had an older brother and it would just be like all the food is always gone you know if we got on the Saturday it'd be gone by Monday we wouldn't have treats like if there was Co noodles they'd be gone by the Monday really you know that sort of thing see we we were allowed to kind of go to the tree drawer as we pleased or to the biscuit in and then a few times I went to like some friends like houses after school and they'd be like Mommy can we have a treat well they were in British obviously and I remember being just like just go and get a [ __ ] bear from the FR like why you begging your M for a treat like a [ __ ] dog yeah but but and I think it would actually work better for us cuz it meant those kids when it came you know like the parties and there was like a big sprad they were the ones who went [ __ ] manic cuz they were like oh my God we can have as much chocolate and christas we W yeah where it's because we were just like left our own devices at home when it came to the parties yeah I'd have a bit but I wasn't going mad you weren't like making yourself get sick you know what I mean I was having a chat with the MS anyway I wasn't doing much eating to be honest I was having a cup of tea with the girls and finding out the Goss that's what I was doing at those parties was there any good Goss when you were younger I I I for some reason I do think some of the MS did confide in me and we from what age from Young I remember one time being a um uh house I I'm so conscious of naming names I because I have a great memory so like I will just throw out names and I I like I've done a few times like in the past with the podcast in like the early days and I regret it now cuz I'm like sometimes I go back to court like at Christmas or whatever you know the way everyone goes down to the local at Christmas and I see them and I'm just like and like sweat to pool in my back I'm like oh my God and like not that I've ever said nasty things but I've just said things that they're probably like how the [ __ ] did he remember that like from 20 years ago I've also spoken about one or two crushes that I had I haven't named names on the crushes but I I say some of the lads are probably maybe slightly aware of it but um there was a time when I was at a Fell's house after school I wasn't particularly close to him but I remember low the ls they were like scrapping in the back garden and and I was like would you C on stop scrapping yeah I like kind of broke it up and I was like you know I was like I don't know say sorry will say that's what I said I don't know exactly what my words were but I kind of sorted and we got back playing football or whatever we're up to jumping on the trampoline and then I remember the mom like pulled me in she's like Kevin she's like are you a pee maker and I was like what she's like you just handle situation so well and I was like well they were they were fighting like and I stopped the fight and then she was like this is so crazy she was like do you want a drink no it was also a hot day also she want to warn me a v but she was like you want to drink and I had to drink and I remember just I don't exactly remember the details of what she was telling me but I remember she was chatting to me like one of the girls now also that being said when I arrived at the GFF I remember complimenting her hair she knew she knew I think it was the thing that she knew so I like complimented her on her hair I was like oh I said did you get your hair done and I'm not even joking but I'd say she probably had a moment of I remember actually this so distinctly where she kind of went and I feel like she fell seene oh cuz her husband probably didn't even notice CU I said like do the husbands notice no they don't a lot of them don't or like where was it a thing where they were too embarrassed to say it sometimes I'm sure some husbands do or whatever and they said oh jeez your hair looks lovely but I'm wondering on this occasion had anyone said it to her since she got the hair done and I I think she just took a bit of a shining to me she knew I was gay realistically right she was probably just that was the thing that was my special my special power my superpow I used just tell the MS they were gorgeous also Ms used to love me as well because if I was ever at a buddy's house and we were playing and we were in the playroom instead of like causing havoc and tearing the place apart I used to get such satisfaction from like and organizing so I would leave the playroom like tidier than when I arrived so mom's used to [ __ ] love it oh my God I used to love I used to literally be like I stopped hanging around with one of my buddies growing up because I remember going to his scff we built this big Lego construction right and we spent ages like slaving over us and then he was like now let's bash it down and he was like got one of his [ __ ] actionman and was like sorry for the sound effects he bashing it down and I was like what are you doing I was like we literally just finished it like leave it for a while at least also like when he was bashing it like things were flying everywhere and I just got no enjoyment from that and I was like I'm off I was like I'm gone right next thing I get a phone call to the family home to the house phone you know it's so funny that I was thinging back in the day and then my mom was like oh it's so and so's dad oh and he was like you have to come back up here and help so and so put away the Lego and I was like no absolutely not we had built a city we had built a masterpiece and your man's after destroying it and everything was flying everywhere it would have been an easy job to tidy it up if we just left it the way we had it he proba blamed on you though probably blamed it on me and I was like not hanging around with her anymore she's bad news she's trouble so yeah that's the type I think that gives that all St from you saying what was in your lunch box see I told you it's a great Gateway question I know that should be the name of the part what was in your lunch box James C there would be coming for you because didn't he he did a series and it was what this week [ __ ] [ __ ] but I think actually because yours is more rooted in Nostalgia and like childhood yeah and it's every conversation coming from the lunch box it's the Pandora's box lunch box is it really I know it's never end my God yeah what's what was in your lunch box keil Mon creef and think of the I'm just thinking of The Branding on one of the really cool old school lunch boxes you know the proper like I'm plastic no when I was a vintage lunch boxes child I used to collect those vintage lunch boxes but the specifically the tin ones the tin were gorgeous so anytime I went on holidays or to a different country I'd always try to find like a quirky alternative tin lunchbox and my dad went away I have one in the shape of a guitar I have like an oldy Sweet Shop sort of one I had one in the shape of an elephant one that like turned into a makeup t I was just obsessed with oh my God makeup table and did you bring it into school or is that purely for the purpose of collection no I didn't use them didn't use them no it was more just a collection just to collect yeah so you were always kind of quirky cool yeah no I wouldn't call that necessarily cool now but it is because you were going against the grain so I respect that I think that's like obviously at the time probably didn't recognize it as such but now if there was a kid collecting cool lunch boxes you'd say aren't they [ __ ] brilliant man the beat of Their Own Drum instead just collecting nothing wrong with it poly Pockets you know what I mean yeah or like Road lipsticks you know what I mean well also those girls their icons name Stanley Cups yeah oh stop it what's going on that's disturbing how is that that's that's up there with the starbcks it's in the same vein isn't it it is exactly the same what are you doing with just Stanley Cups girls why do you need more than three like why you need one do you have one reusable no I don't have a stly now but I have like reusable bottles of course we doag 2024 we all have reusable bottles of course but why are people getting Stanley no you know what it's the it's the autron auton for the Stanley's the um yeah the snack things what's it called all the added bits the accessories the accessories it's more an a St I think a status of wealth or like exclusivity 60 quid is something we can kiss the the Stanley cab good boy but that's F isn't it I'm I'm content with that yeah yeah who cares who gives a sh keep your stle cups [ __ ] keep it I don't even want to look at it smoke salmon what a no that was weird oh sorry smoke salmon and then what else now one nuts of the girls in my class was allergic to nuts but I would have been the type to bring in like a mix a trail mix or like some nuts I loved nuts when I miss me with the trail mix no thanks seed seated crackers and like something to dip it in so um what age are you now 26 oh my God yeah yeah cuz I was like we definitely like in my primary school no one was going around with crackers and a dip or was it maybe a girl school thingy or is it just like Mi no it was definitely Against the Grain I will say that it was against the grain um yeah just bringing in random [ __ ] I will say just random [ __ ] that I found around the house yeah but was it for the purpose of shock or for people to go look at what Kean has in her lunch box or was it just cuz you were like doing your own thing in a bit mad no I just loved stuff that was like vinegary and smelly and I went through a phase of bringing in do you know those Frankfurter sausages that you literally put in the microwave we can't talk with them we can't talk with them it gets you didn't no it was not even just the frankfurters on their own it was the hot dog bun cut hot dogs down the middle with the with the heated up Frankfurter with ketchup and mustard and then I'd wrap it in tin foil so then by the time it came around to big lunch it was obviously all like sweaty shrivel up from like the Heat and the moisture inside theil you're lucky you're not [ __ ] radioactive after consuming that and it was like every day for a while hot dogs hot dog hot dog hot dog hot dogs yeah that is manic I know I was just saying the other day I can't believe the people over here I go to the cinema race go up and buy their ticket and then they're like what do you want to eat or do you want popcorn and they say no I'd love a hot dog and they take a bit of pork that's been rotating for God knows how [ __ ] long I'd say minimum 8 hours just in the background and they just consume a hot dog on the premises I'm I'm I'm actually like you know what people are playing with their lives there people being like Oh my God you know what you're putting into your body like getting vaccines and doing all this you're eating hot dogs from a cinema counter obviously girls look I'm not judging anyone if that's you know if if if you can't afford to go for your nice meal beforehand and it's a bit of sustenance for you crack on but if you're eating hot dogs from a cinema counter look if if you grow an extra limb or if you give birth to a child with a third ear that's on you just know that you ate the hot dog do you know what I mean no one forced you radioactive radioactive radioactive is the name of the EP literally um when did you what was your extracurricular acties like um extra extracurricular acties as a kid um so when I was in first class I did a play in school it was I went to nor boys primary school and secondary school oh Jesus yeah but so it's so funny because people are like what where that was such the norm back home I remember like when I was in secondary school there was Lads that I met who went to CL colum which was the mix school and I remember being like what and it was this like forign territory they weren't hippies but they were all like they were just so much more mature like mix the schools now mix the schools I know like the the AR there's no argument for having like separation like what was the argument was it like oh that the boys would be feral around the girls I think it was something yeah something perverted something stupid like we're kids nobody cared and it just made people grow up more and it also meant that the gays like had more backing with the girlies you know what I mean um but we did a play when we were in first class and it was like a take on Aladdin so did someone have to be the the girl then so I I put my hand up there was only one girl I put my hand up to be yeah um Aladdin's man right but it was Aladdin's um adopted man okay so know Aladdin was an orphan or something like that basically you know when some of the teachers who I'd say were at the primary school teaching a while and then they were like um I'm not able to um tap into my creative juices yeah you know what I mean and they're like oh they're they're stuck in the hum drum of like doing the same thing every day teaching the same syllabus and they're like I'm going to write a play and I'm going to transform the school you know what I mean one of those teachers and transformed the school she did she she definitely transformed me shout out to miss bark I think she that was her U maiden name I think she then became Mr Kalen anyway Mr Ken if you're out there I hope you're doing well um loved her yeah basically I put my hand up for Laden's mom Laden's mom only had a few lines I was only in at the start I remember one of the lines do you want to hear it okay so one of the lines I said was to my husband I said come along darling I think I need a new Rolls-Royce the one I have is at least a week old right and I used to love it I didn't even know what a Rolls-Royce was I still don't really I'm not too into watch it and um I was doing the play and we were rehearsing for it the fellow who was picked as laddin like it's a week before the show the child still hasn't a glimmer of the lines doesn't know what's going on meanwhile while I'm in the back when we're going around when we're acting it out mouthing everyone else's lines this is something I still do yeah so mouthing everyone else's lines when it's coming in I had a photographic memory grown up so I was like I knew the whole script anyway like the teacher was like he doesn't have a clue so she was like Jack will you be Aladdin's M and Kevin will you be Aladdin I was like absolutely but I really wanted to play the m at the same time I was like oh I just got so much enjoyment from it but I was also obviously weak to be playing the main parent then I did laddin and the parents came or whatever and afterwards I remember because I was with my mom when the teacher was saying it she was like get him into a drama class now yeah get him into a drama class like I can't believe he doesn't do drama and then the rest sister I started doing drama after school um doing fish machos did you have them up in Dublin no it's basically just like a competition where you get up on stage and you do your poems or you do your acting piece right and then I did Oliver there was like this big casting call for kids to do Oliver was coming to the opera house and I was also going to Dublin and they needed kids to be you know the workhouse kids um I went to the audition ended up getting it and there was like dancing in the show it was kind of more choreograph movement as opposed to full-on dancing but I've never danced before and I remember loving it and all the other Lads weren't as quick at picking it up as I was so I was like oh my got I kind of knack for this and then I was just like get me into a dance class I was also playing football at the time which is about I was giving you the best of both worlds um it was a bit Rogue um kind of had a Montana Vibes um but I like I love playing soccer as well I enjoy playing football all my brothers did it like I grew up in in a state and like if you weren't playing football with the ls out in out in the park what else were you doing you know what I mean it was either that or you'd be in by yourself you know what I mean we also played the game of carbs and swing ball course right any kiss chasing or not really tip the can we did a bit tip the kind man hunt I didn't like rough housing I didn't like any form of like aggressive behavior it was also around the time when like you know jackass was huge and like it was all young Lads Jack jackass and it was like people just kind of all the lads were watching jackass I couldn't watch Jackass hated watching it and um The Lads used to like go on their bikes and like Ram them into a carb or like just do things to like with the intent of like hurting themselves you know what I mean it a bit crazy now but you know like wrestling or they be like let's do jackass where we where we like jump on the trampoline and then jump into the bush and I would be like no cuz you're going to get hurt so I hated all of that but I the soccer no I wouldn't I would literally be like I'm not doing that so you just standed out I would just standed out I would just be like I'm not doing this girl they like you they knew I was a bit particular they knew that I was probably a bit since sensitive yeah you know what I mean or a bit delicate delicate but I mean I could get away with delicate doesn't like a bit of Del delicate delicate delicate uh sorry were you in something I saw in your story were you in the background or something on your phone robbery story bike oh my God how embarrassing what was that oh my God so my mom messaged me the other night and she was like pure mom text she was like Channel 4 dispatches now right and I goes what is this and she goes going on about all the phone robbings in Stratford which is where I live right she was like be careful out there if they try to take your phone just give it to them they have knives dot dot dot apparently I was like all right okay and I threw it on but I only wased it for a few minutes I only caught the tail end of it but I had it up on my story just a screenshot of my mom like telling me that cuz she will always there'll be like now this it so happens that it was in Stratford but like if anything ever happens in London I'll get text from my mom and she'd be like stabbing West London you know what I mean and I'm like I I or I remember around the time like there was like a bomb scare and she was like stay away from London Bridge I was like I'm not just going to go you know walk on London Bridge you know what I mean she doesn't really get it she just thinks it's London like it's huge I don't think she understands the scale of it um so anyway I put up a screenshot of my story and then a fellow messaged me and was like he lives in London he was like I wanted to watch the documentary and he goes I'm not even joking cuz I I'm 100% sure that I saw you on your bike in it with the the face blurred out he took a screenshot it was me in the documentary that my mom was watching telling me to watch but it's so weird I think they position me like they blurred out my face and it's just a clip of me on my bike and all these lads who were stealing the phones are on their bikes I think I don't know I think they might have been implying that I was robbing the phones which I think is hilarious I could be less of a thug but my mom then I sent it to my mom then she just went oh my God is not the funniest thing ever um it doesn't look like you though from the way stop but the only thing that was underway up was me wearing a jumper and a blurred out face and I was like what were you expecting like the they're bluring out the f I don't know I just thought it was very I got a fierce kick out of it have you been in anything else stage school after your extra's career in being Oliver um as in show Bo or TV what are we talking you want me to bring up the spotlight page just work his Tre uh so I did so basically after Oliver I got involved in doing like shows in Cork I joined like a a big stage school and was doing no we' put on a musical like every year yeah that's so fun so my best memories were like from my youth are doing shows and the crack we used to have me and my friend Podrick like we both went to the same stage school he's going to be my guest for my Quirk show oh really yeah he was telling me this yeah I me and porri used to just have like unparalleled fun yeah it was so much fun and then because like we were the only two Lads well there was another fellat as well but like there wasn't many Lads like we were lording it up you know what I mean we were just having the biggest ball the girlies loved us we loved the girlies we like had the same sensibilities and like it was where we kind of came into our own I became so confident from going to like stage school it really kind of brought out the best in me you know what I mean and like just made me confident person yeah you know what I mean and I I honestly it was like the the best thing I ever did I think the best thing for any children like get them into like drama classes or dance classes get boys into dance classes you know what I mean I sometimes like I even think about like like the anxieties that Lads had when we first started going out or like you know you see some Lads in the dance Flor and not to say that I was ripping it up like [ __ ] step up or whatever but it just meant that I even you know what aside from dancing just for the posture element yeah you know what I mean get some Lads just have such poor posture and like you know they don't like walking around the place like with their shoulders back because you know it looks a bit I don't know probably feminine probably you know what I mean to have nice posture no nice posture stunning and also it will sort you out for the rest of your life that's the thing I'm most grateful for is the posture yeah so I was doing all that and then like like I went to UC but then I dropped out and I was like I want to do performing over here so I trained that's why I moved to London I so I trained over here for three years amazing as dancer performer kind of thing and then lockdown happened I like I graduated I worked six months as a dancer on a cruise ship yeah traveling around Asia and stuff and then did you like that I did I lik elements of it yeah it's all a bit of a wild west it's like you're in international waters and it's like it has its own legal system oh as in like there's like ship ship law it's not like actual real certified law it's like there's like these rules and codes of conduct you have to abide by on the ship which is a bit crazy is there anything like there's a hierarchy yeah there's I never got kicked off at one point because our dance Captain she was [ __ ] mental so basically I went in as a cover yeah the ship contract the cast who were on the ship they had done a 9 month contract right they had been on this ship for N9 months but traveling around to different ports you know traveling all around Asia we did uh like the Home Port was shenen in China we went to Japan like went to places like fukoka makaku went down to South Korea we did jjland went to Vietnam it was gorgeous like the itinerary was stunning and it was a part of the world I never really had any ambition to see at that age but I was like when I did I was like Jesus Christ I'm me I so worldly you know what I mean but anyway so I went on I replaced the dance Captain was a guy like I was taking his spot but obviously because I was just learning the shows I wasn't being made dance Captain so dance Captain is kind of the person who would oversee the shows like um once the choreographer has choreographed and set the shows so they would be so say if we had a gig and something went wrong or someone was injured so they couldn't do um a certain part of the routine they' be the ones responsible for replacing them replacing them or like changing things around or changing formations or equally if someone wasn't like pulling their ways in a number or if they look like sloppy sometimes the dance Captain might do a show watch or like they might just take notes and be like you know just tell something they need to kind of Step It Up essentially really um so they were working on the ship for 9 months this girl had been made dance Captain the casts who were on board like I was obviously buzzing because it was like my first contract after graduating I was traveling to the other side of the world they were almost near they were like just in the routine of doing the shows every night and they were just trying to make the most of their time when they weren't working you know what I mean that's half the joy of it really well most of it is like like you're going doing a ship contract not for the shows cuz the shows themselves are like AR in spectacular there's only so much you can do on a [ __ ] ship um they're doing it cuz you get to travel the world and do all the other things and like you know Chill by the [ __ ] pool and sunbathe you know what I mean so they were just looking to do their gig and get out but when this person took over they were essentially used it as an opportunity to like like do a load of things or like change parts of the show that she like wasn't happy with and she'd obviously like been biting her tongue or she she basically was on a bit of a Power Trip okay everyone was allergic to her everyone was like raging she was calling all these extra rehearsal that should have just been for me really and obviously the rest of the cast would have been involved in some capacity because I was doing a lot of partner work on the on the ship so a lot of lifts and things um but she was calling all these extra rehearsals she had us rehearsing for the Christmas show in October and we hadn't even done the [ __ ] Halloween gig and I was like I'm having to learn about I'm not even kidding you like 40 new dance numbers oh my God you to do two you to learn two separate shows you then had to we were also like dancing uh what's it called sailway which was like when the ship was coming out of port so all the passengers have just got on board all the new passengers they all come up to the top deck by the pool we put on a show there we did another show for the casino we did another show on one of the parenty nights that just happened in the main fo8 that wasn't even in the auditorium all these had like five and six dance numbers as part of the uh set yeah so I remember at one point I was like cuz I was so overwhelmed as well because I was the only one who was like learning the choreography from scratch yeah and I just felt completely out of my depth as well because I had no one to compare myself to like I had no one to like say oh I'm struggling as well or Jesus Christ I can't remember that either so I was just like I'm not cut out for this and I remember being like I'm going to have to throw myself off this [ __ ] ship not and not into the Border over Bor no what I was going to do was because in my contract if I got injured I still got paid and that was my thing like I was pissed poor I just graduated I was taking this contract is it's a great way of saving money as well right cuz you don't you're not paying for accommodation you're not paying for food you're fade whatever for your breakfast lunch and dinner so I was doing it to save money so that I could you know move into like a nice apartment in London and I was like if I get injured I was like I still get paid I remember just being like would I just [ __ ] myself down the stairs which is awful I wouldn't recommend anyone doing that yeah but I got on with it but anyway this dance Captain was making my life a living hell everyone was fed up with her but because everyone was getting fed up with her around the time that I had joined she like thought it was me that was like causing this Mutiny you know what I mean oh she like saw me as like the source of the issue and I was like no girl you're the issue D like ask anyone they'll tell you but like one of the lands then had had enough of her so there was me another male dancer and then a specialized Ballroom dancer who is um male as well he wasn't as good at just like regular choreography he was very much he was an amazing Ballroom dancer but he found it harder to pick up like commercial or jazz or kind of musical theater style yeah um so the other male dancer was like couldn't hacker and he was like I'm done I've done 10 months or whatever he was like I'm getting off now he was doing flips in the show as well so he was like my back I'm done but we all knew like the class we all knew that he was had enough of her so I'm just after finishing learning all these shows learning all these dance numbers and then he's gone and she's like we have to change the routines again right and I'm going oh my brain was ready to [ __ ] explode like the the other routines weren't even sitting in my body just yet I was like having to I think about them so much and I wasn't at a point of enjoying the shows yet and then um she wanted to do all these changes and a lot of the things were myself and the other danc are like doing lifts right and I remember at one point she was like right we're still going to do this lift and I was like no this is a two-person lift like I was lifting you with she was like well what else are we going to do here she was like I think you'll be able for it and I was like I'm letting you right know right now like I'm not I don't feel comfortable doing it she was like we'll give it a try we tried in rehearsal I was able to do it right but I was like when it comes to this point in the show I've there's about four or five dance numbers that I've already done I was like I'm wrecked yeah also the costume changes in in any my cruise girlies any my girlies who worked on a cruise shout out to you girls because I've nothing but utmost respect for you it's a it's a tough craft and it's a tough gig yeah um I was exhausted and I was like just letting you know I don't feel feel comfortable comes to the show also by the way I want to remind people people were performing on the sea oh my God there's obviously listing happening the ship's going like that when you're in the middle of a show and I'm having to lift someone above my [ __ ] head so C to the show when we're training for the first time I dropped the girl on a [ __ ] back right now in my head I was nearly like it serves your [ __ ] right but I was also mortified right I dropped this girl mid show and everyone's going what the [ __ ] she went to [ __ ] HR and said that I dropped her on purpose to make a point and I was like oh I got called to like HR in this [ __ ] [ __ ] my first contract out of and did anyone ever go to go to HR about her we did we all went after that then In fairness to the rest of the cast we all came together this sounds bad but um so if you get fired from a ship contract you'll never work on a ship again like no one will hire you again cuz it will just be like even if it's for another company you know cuz they'll be like obviously you don't want that trouble when you're out in the water like someone who has a history right so you'll never so that's your career over so um so you're very wary of that I suppose wary of that as well so we all went and but we still said we were like look it can't go on like that like we don't want to ruin the girl's career or ruin her life but she's ruining our lives we're like we're not in we still had like two months left of this contract two or 3 months left yeah and then um I think they advised her to take leave or something like that like they got R basically oh okay something like that so she got demoted she got demoted but Bas this is crazy but I before I like with with HR I found an email we basically had this like uh clock in system yeah that we to go up to like a computer and just like sign in for all shifts or like for the show so they knew we were there and I saw an email that she had just sent to my general manager sorry and I saw an email that the person who booked me for the geig back home that this dance Captain was obviously reporting back to so an email that she had sent to my general manager on the ship basically like list of like lies that like you wanted like accused me of and I was just like I remember I took a screenshot of it and I was like it was Madness it was so crazy a head screenshot or a real screenshot no I took an actual screenshot on my phone or I sorry I took a picture not a screenshot I literally took a photo of it and I was like and it's so it was tough as well cuz I'm away from family and like you the Wi-Fi on board is like [ __ ] there's obviously like time difference like I remember just being away from my family being like what the [ __ ] oh that's horrible it was a crazy time I'm still like really grateful I did the contract I made like good friends on it it was a really good learning experience for me straight out of college yeah and I also I saved a [ __ ] ton of money I didn't like when you're on working on a ship like I didn't have to pay tax on it because it was like oh yeah you're not in a specific country you're not in a specific country and I was like this is the I saw a gorgeous parent of the world and I was like when I was doing the shows when we got into it like I was Ling life you know what I mean was there any repercussions then what your manager back home were you able to redeem yourself and just be like it wasn't no I no because the fact that I wasn't consulted the fact that there was an um an email sent to my manager without this person Consulting me so this person was the person who booked me for the job like on the audition yeah I was like telling me how much they love me and stuff it was all for me and then they had even consulted me before they went to my manager to say all this stuff it wasn't saying like the dance Captain said this was saying I had a conversation with the dance captain Captain Kevin is doing this Kevin is doing this and I was like oh my God lies lies lies lies and manell you lie like a rug oh my God so so I was a bit had done by and I was like I don't I don't need it and also like after that I was like one ship contract was enough for me you know what I mean I was offered like other contracts afterwards and and like once you do one ship contract if you finish it successfully or whatever like you can you kind of have your pick of ones what you're going to what ones you want to do again you know what I mean like there's some people who will get a job on a ship and stay on them for rest of their lives the girlies were living the dream because all the girlies you have these gorgeous dancers right these gorgeous stunning tall dancers who um all end up because you're on a ship right they all end up riding the captains of the ship not the captain necessarily but like we'll say you know all the lives in the in the shirts with their stripes so like instead of just having like a a share dancers cabin yeah they're like Shackled up with like the fellas who are top of the rank for these contracts they're not spending a penny they're having like room service to the rooms they travel the world a lot of them I know so many girls who've ended up marrying like I feel like they've met on a ship and they just travel the world and you can do uh what's called like couples contracts so you apply for all your contracts together and they just travel the world together so to change the subject now do you want to talk about your college experience how was UCC UCC UCC I loved UCC yeah loved this people say that I love mentioning at any opportunity the fact that I went to UC I was I was see I was a big brain box in school yeah with a photographic memory I can imagine photographic memory and like completely suited me to the uh Irish uh education system like I got 11 a in the junior start they called me Kevin 11 oh my gosh got like 580 in the leaving now I'm probably the only person who remembers their points in their leaving search right but it it was like a huge thing for me still some was to like at the end of my life said what was one of your biggest achievements I would be like the junior start the even start I cuz I was just so disciplined I was like so set I remember just being like if I wanted to achieve something or learn something I just had such discipline to be able to sit down and study for like three or 4 hours and be like I know that I didn't know what it was about it was so crazy my brother hated it because he was doing his leaving start at the same time I was doing my junior start and I was doing more studying than him oh and he was like you're really [ __ ] showing me up you know what I mean um so went off to UCC to Commerce for French I would see I I liked Lads of things every subject in school like I was really really into um I loved languages loved Irish loved French loved business did accounting loved Sciences like I remember at one point I was panicking because my biology teacher who had kind of taken a shining to me the whole time he was a really really nice guy he actually had me back in the school like two years ago to give a talk um about like just kind of following a creative path but I remember he pulled me aside and was like what do you want to do when I was in fourth year or fifth year I was like I don't really know I like I still like love so many things like there's about five things now they're all completely different from each other that I love to put down in my CEO I don't know was like law I was um wanting to do business at one point I was playing with the idea of like doing medicine um like just loads of different things because I'm like how are we meant to decide what we want to [ __ ] do at the age of like 16 or 17 cuz I think at that time when you're feeling out to say oh you were like thinking about things in context of it being your entire life yeah like especially like I remember when like Podrick right so Podrick decided in transition year that he was wanting to do Primary School teaching so he had his like haet on that he was like getting grinds and like Irish you know cuz you had to get the like higher level whatever and I remember just being like in my head back then even though it's obviously not the case now it doesn't mean he has to be a a teacher for the rest of his life but I remember being like how does he know that he wants to do that forever and found that scary like thinking about doing something forever I have a huge fear of permanency right yeah haven't had many long-term relationships in my life haven't had any tattoos for the just because I'd be so traumatized about it being on my body forever it's crazy I I know and I never got to that part um in therapy I was unpacking so much other [ __ ] and I was like I remember when I finished up for her I was like never spoke about my my disdain for permanent sake but anyway um so that teach teacher the biology teacher sat me down was like what you want to do I was like I don't know want to do this this this this and this he was like you know there are people who might just decide that they want to be a bin man but because they know what they want they can like Chase it and go for it and they will be the best bin man ever and they like just have their haet on it and they'll do everything they can to succeed in to ensure that that's what they do yeah and he was like but you don't really have any Direction you don't know what you want to do so he was like that's worrying and I remember being like Oh my God I was like that is worrying that's so worrying so you're Choice Paralyzed by choice probably especially if you had the brains I feel like you have so many more options given to yourself that you don't know where to go as well as being interested absolutely and like even one of the things I loved in school was like the variety I was like you know if you got fed up of one thing you're doing another thing you know what I mean and went to UCC I ended up like putting Commerce with French as my first choice because I think I was always like business inclined I always had a business mind right L doing jumble sales when I was younger when it came to doing the mini company in transitioner you best believe I was headed that mini company we were doing like an advertising thing with local companies like loved just knowing about business and accounting was probably my strongest subject like I just was I Remember Loving accounting because you could go into your accounting exam this oh my God people are listening they're probably like why the [ __ ] is this loser going on about leaving start accounting they're like what am I even listen I love talking about school followers are dropping off I'm telling you that much but I remember being like I when into my leing C accounting exam knowing that everything sorry I came out of my leaving start accounting exam knowing that I'd like basically gotten full Mar cuz everything balanced oh so you can almost like check your an you almost know the right answer the right answer or like at least even if you know you had a wrong figure but they balanced or whatever at least you know that like your formula was kind of right you know what I mean and I remember just being like that for me was great cuz I was like this is [ __ ] brilliant you know what I mean um you like that things add up and there a formula for yeah structure oh my God honestly I'm on a semi I'm not even joking just thinking about it oh my God maybe I should go back and do accounting so I did that cuz I was like oh uh Commerce is like a general business degree and there was like accounting modules there was like marketing modules and then I also did with French so and I just loved I love like going into like you know my French culture lessons and being like Oh my God I'm a man of the world and I remember like you know we did like French film studies and I remember doing like a movie we did study which just like L Blan I remember just being like I felt part of something huge and you know like the the university experience that we probably saw on telly growing up you know if you're watching Sabrina you see her like um going to was she even going to college I don't know high school or whatever or like say by the Bell one of these I I remember being like this is it you know what I mean like I'm part of this big thing but then I was like I was because I was like so invested in my studies when I went to UC like the dancing and the acting kind of took a bit of a backseat and I was like wasn't happy about I was like oh so that's it so I was like this is only first year I like things are only going to get like you know busier more hectic like dancing acting and all the rest of it probably just going to waste away to nothing you know what I mean and I was like wasn't happy about that I know people get involved in dramat and I was involved in the dance society and things but like I wasn't getting my fill yeah so then I think I just having done the year then I became a bit more emboldened or just had a bit more courage to be like this actually isn't what I want to do right now I can always come back to it but I I also because I was like so good in school and because I was such a SWAT I I was like if I tell my parents when I'm filling out the ca form coo form that I want to go to London and pursue a career in the Arts I was just like I felt like I would have been throwing my life away I felt like it didn't make sense yeah wasting your wasting my brains even though like that doesn't make sense but that's kind of what we were convinced of you know what I mean because like a career in the Arts isn't uh worth wild one you know what I mean and then but then like after doing the year newc I was like actually [ __ ] it yeah who cares like I can always go back to this I can't decide at the age of 35 that I want to be a [ __ ] dancer you know what I mean when my body's you know packing in my knees are already [ __ ] shagged and I'm 31 so I was like let me go so just audition for schools then in London and ended up going over the next year did you miss learning yeah or like Swing Bible cuz i' say you get a B off exams yeah and you know academic validation yeah absolutely so I used to excel there was certain um like modules or certain lessons when I went to like dance College like musical theater things we did one thing in second year it's called a swing project so basically a swing in a show not sure if you know but they're swingers swingers yeah pineapple outside the GFF the pompus par the pompus grass but they um so they cover multiple roles okay so basically instead of just being like an under study a a swing would be typically paid more because they're literally having to learn so many different tracks okay but if that comes to a show that's like a dance based show where there's so many different formations you might be learning different choreography for different sections like it's a [ __ ] mind [ __ ] so what you have is like a swing Bible which is like basically a thing where you write down this a lot of the time is colorcoded all your different tracks so if you're like if I'm covering this character or if I'm covering this part it's this this this this just so if you get a call the day of the show where you're like um Stephen isn't in you have to cover his part you just open up your book and you can go through it and then you can get into to the theater I know 2 hours early and you can just go through all his stuff with like the rest of the cast right so we did that project in the second year and I remember everyone being allergic and up the walls and I was like you know traumatized as well like at the like workload of it but I remember being like colorcoded [ __ ] Bible this is my [ __ ] Jam you know what I mean and I was like so any instance or any opportunity to really kind of um uh Flex those muscles those like you know brain and thinking and logic and writing or whatever I used to love and I was purely teacher pet and I'd be like look at my Bible my Bible teacher and all see the thing is well what what I loved as well about like um going to L dance College all the teachers like the singing teachers and the dance teachers they were all like Camp men Camp funny men like you know like Louis Spence from Pineapple dance studios like all of my teachers like some of them were crazy but all of my teachers were like different variations of them or even like the female teachers I used to have such a laugh there was one of my teachers Annie and see basically because I was had done my leaving start I had done a year at Uni there were some girls who were 16 going to dance college so I had girls in my year when I was 21 who were 16 there was other people in my age as well are like you know 1920 and stuff and I wasn't the oldest but like I was one of one of the oldest so that meant that I like a better Rapport of my teachers they kind of respected me more or like just knew that I kind of got it more you know what I mean so I like such like a good laugh at some of the teachers also it's probably the Irish thing as well right but like I remember one of my teachers Annie like she took such a shining to me and we used to just I squ into her lessons and just have the biggest laugh and like anytime she opened her mouth I was just like this you know what I mean I felt like I was parent of a sitcom felt like it was part of like a mockumentary type thing because some of the [ __ ] that happens within the walls of like dance colleges itself is just [ __ ] Mayhem I remember one of our first acting lessons with this particular teacher right we went into a room he chairs all lined up like so like 2 and two like in rows we alled to sit down and for like 20 minutes we us to pretend that we were on a plane and that it was being hijacked and I remember just being like coming out there and being like what am I doing like what is this what is my life like what am I like last year I was you know studying the [ __ ] life cycle of a [ __ ] sticky note in one of my man management modules in UC and now I'm trying to escape from this room that there's a terrorist attack on this [ __ ] flight but we're just sitting on a fold fold up chair it was all what I I had the best three years of my life at dance College the best three the the friends I've made I'm still like best buddies with them now we I used to laugh every day I was so scared when I moved over right in my first week I remember being like I'm making the biggest mistake of my life I'm throwing my life away I was such a homebird as well I had such good buddies back in Cork I was so close to my family my mom my mom came over with me on the first day when I moved over she flew in with me that morning flew back that night and I remember I walked with her to the coach station for her to go back to the airport and she handed me a letter oh and I remember just being like I can't read this now cuz this is going to break me I was like and I'll be getting on that bus with you and she was like you're right and she took the letter and she was like I'll give it to you when you're a bit more settled in I remember going back to the Gaff that I was saying at the time and and I just had this sinking feeling in my stomach being like what the [ __ ] and I literally just moved over the day before I was like due to start like we had our induction week our fresher week I remember being like what am I doing and by that Friday I remember just being like you you made the right decision like it was just so soon that was just so much [ __ ] fun and then I was kind of like even if I don't ever work in the Arts afterwards if I never get a job as like a [ __ ] dancer I never work on the West End I remember just being like it's [ __ ] worth it because I'm just was having like a great standard of training I was doing like I was getting up every day to like Dan whichwich or something like that I loved and act and like be creative which is something that I like really didn't have when I was in UC was all like you know go to the library and learn [ __ ] text and whatever and I remember just being like this is it like this is like it's [ __ ] fun you know what I mean it's obviously Mayhem you get some [ __ ] freaks there and some people that are like I was allergic to and I was like they need to leave you know because you have so much big personalities and some people are just like tapped and like you know so many narcissists and stuff I could probably be categorized in that bracket as well but like people that you are just like you're not real life like the fact that they're not making uh series they were actually meant at the time I think they they were meant to do something with our College yeah they were meant to do like a because it was based in eics so you had like towy at the time which was like doing great numbers back in 2014 I don't know what way it's doing now but um you basically they wanted to come in and do like a uh series like a reality series about this like dance College orever I love that and it but I would I would have eaten it up it it was like a real life [ __ ] Glee almost do you know what I mean it was that kind of buzz are like I don't know if you watch batan High growing up or anything like that like or fame or whatever it was literally that it was literally that it was so funny High School [ __ ] but it like it was literally that I'm not even joking it was it was so much [ __ ] fun