PeopleQ&A

Jess Kelly: ‘Everything changed for the better when I stopped caring so much about what others thought of me’

Newstalk’s Tech Talk presenter on being a middle child, summers on the Shannon and her unusual middle name

Jess Kelly: 'I wasted too much time trying to impress people when I should have just put my head down and done my own thing.' Photograph: Barry McCall

Sun May 26 2024 - 04:00
How agreeable are you?

I constantly alternate between aspiring to be more agreeable and taking pride in my conviction to stand by what I believe in. I don’t go out of my way to make things difficult, but I always let my thoughts and feelings be known.

What’s your middle name and what do you think of it?

Valentine. Can you guess what date I was born?! I used to be embarrassed by it and not tell people, but as I get older, I have started to embrace it. Some of my friends now call me “Jessica Valentine” just because they know I used to hate it.

Where is your favourite place in Ireland?

We spend an awful lot of time on the Shannon over the summer months and I think my favourite place is Lecarrow. It’s beautiful, quiet and the ideal place to sit in the sun with a book.

Describe yourself in three words

This is a tough one. I could attempt to make myself sound cool or I could be honest. If I’m being honest, I’d say: loyal, creative and worrier.

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When did you last get angry?

I don’t really do “angry”; I get frustrated easily because I like things to be organised and structured, but it would take an awful lot for me to get properly angry.

What have you lost that you would like to have back?

The ability to sit down without getting a twinge in my back.

What’s your strongest childhood memory?

Playing on the beach on Mojacar Playa in the south of Spain. We spent most of our summer holidays there and I love it with all my heart.

Where do you come in your family’s birth order, and has this defined you?

I’m the middle child and I think I fit every single stereotype that exists about middle children. I’m a fixer, a worrier, and a doer.

[ Sarah McInerney: ‘If you look up middle-child syndrome in the dictionary, you’ll find a picture of me’ ]

What do you expect to happen when you die?

Nothing. And I’m okay with that.

When were you happiest?

I’m always happiest when I’m with my favourite people; be that my boyfriend, my nieces and nephews or my friends. The first thing that popped into my head when I thought about this was when I took my nephew to Old Trafford last year. Seeing his face light up as we walked into Old Trafford nearly made my heart burst.

Which actor would play you in a biopic about your life?

My knowledge of movies and actors is appalling, but I asked a friend and he said “Emma Stone”, so we’ll run with that.

What’s your biggest career/personal regret?

I wasted too much time trying to impress people when I should have just put my head down and done my own thing. Everything changed for the better when I stopped caring so much about what others thought of me.

Have you any psychological quirks?

Many. I’m very particular about how I do things, but rather than worry about them, I lean into them fully because they’re what makes me me.

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