RTE presenter Rachael English has been announced as RTE Radio 1’s News at One presenter, following Bryan Dobson’s retirement.
After 14 years as part of the team of Morning Ireland presenters, the broadcaster will move to be a permanent presenter on RTÉ Radio 1's flagship lunchtime radio programme with over 300,000 listeners each weekday.
Speaking about the move for the first time, Ms English said: "One of my first jobs in RTÉ was as a reporter on the News at One. It was also where I first worked as a stand-in presenter. I've always hoped that one day I'd get to return, so I'm delighted to be doing so now. It feels like coming home. It's been a privilege to present Morning Ireland, and I'd like to thank the colleagues who have made getting up at 4am bearable. I'm looking forward to working with the fantastic team on the News at One."
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Deirdre McCarthy, Managing Director of News & Current Affairs said: "Rachael is a highly respected journalist and outstanding broadcaster. I am delighted that she will now be joining the exceptional team of journalists on our flagship News at One programme.
"Recently inducted into the IMRO Radio Awards Hall of Fame, Rachael is very familiar to our listeners from presenting Morning Ireland.
"She will continue to bring her focus and integrity in this new role, representing the public interest on the programme. She is exceptional at asking the probing questions, the questions the listeners want answers to and holding those in power to account. Her extensive broadcast experience along with her measured tone, reassuring and calm delivery will ensure listeners will continue to tune in everyday."
In 2013, Ms English heavily criticised some of her RTE colleagues who earned big bucks at the station – joking the public will probably never see her name on the top 10 list of highest earners at the broadcaster.
She told the Irish Mirror at the time: "There was no doubt some people were paid too much money but I always say it was RTE who paid them – you can’t blame people for taking it.
"If someone had offered me that sort of money, what would I have said? It wouldn’t have been, ‘Ah no thanks, you’re alright’."
She added: "Unfortunately I have never troubled the top 10 earners and I’m never likely to.
"Those figures have been published for a few years now and I remember the first time they were, the reaction from people outside was that it was just mad.
"And there’s no point in saying otherwise as in fairness the Director General has said the same thing.
"But it was RTE who paid the money, it wasn’t like the people involved were robbing a bank.
"In news there are fewer big salaries and newsrooms are more matter-of-fact places so it’s less of an issue than it might be in other areas."
Ms English joined RTÉ in 1991 as a 2fm news reader and later worked as a reporter for Morning Ireland; the News at One, Today With Pat Kenny and RTÉ Television News.
Her first full-time presenting job was on Five Seven Live on RTÉ Radio 1. She presented The Late Debate and Saturday View before joining Morning Ireland in 2010. She has also worked on a number of special series, including The Constituency which focused on the issues and candidates in all of the Dail’s constituencies and The Big Science Debate where an expert panel discussed the ethical challenges presented by scientific developments.
Since 2002, she has been a presenter on RTÉ Radio 1’s General Election results programmes and has also presented coverage of local, European and presidential election counts and has anchored election coverage from Belfast, London and Washington. As a reporter and presenter, she has worked on a huge range of national and international stories from the signing of the Good Friday Agreement to the Olympic Games to the 9/11 attacks.
In 2022, the Clare native’s outstanding contribution to radio broadcasting in Ireland was recognised and she was inducted into the IMRO Awards Radio Hall of Fame. She is also the author of seven novels, most recently the top 10 bestseller, Whatever Happened to Birdy Troy?
Rachael will begin presenting the News at One on RTÉ Radio 1 on Monday, 15 July.
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