Presenter Lucy Kennedy speaks with us about the return of Livin’ with Lucy on Virgin Media Television.
Livin’ with Lucy is a long-running television series presented by Lucy Kennedy, in which Kennedy heads off to share space, life and conversation with celebrities in their own homes. She sleeps in the spare room, helps with shopping and joins them on family outings.
Guests on Livin’ with Lucy this season include RTÉ sports presenter Des Cahill, Coronation Street star Simon Gregson, Geordie Shore’s Charlotte Crosby, comedian Andrew Maxwell, and former footballer Richard Sadlier.
Presenter Lucy Kennedy sat down with us to discuss the longevity of the Livin’ with Lucy format, notable guests she’s had on the show before, and the perseverance that’s gone into getting some of this season’s guests.
IFTN:You’re now 54 episodes into Living with Lucy. What’s been the biggest change since the show started?
LUCY: “Would you believe, absolutely nothing! We haven't changed anything. I remember when I originally started doing it, the production notes were ‘Can she put on makeup?’ And obviously I haven't been bothered since, so nothing has changed.”
“Lodging with Lucy we did during lockdown where we were based in this stud farm in Meath, which I loved. But other than that we've never changed it.”
“We’ve toyed with the idea of making twists or changes to the format but, truthfully, it just works with its simplicity. It's as current as the celebrity I'm living with. There's always a new celebrity, or a new story, or someone that wants to reinvent themselves. So we've never changed it since day one. Even the little cartoon girl getting into the taxi. I think we might have given her a bump when I was pregnant, that's as crazy as we went.”
IFTN: You had Barry Keoghan on the show in 2019. His career has really taken off over the last few years, what was it like to live with him?
LUCY: “Oh, he was unbelievable. Such a nice guy. Very much like one of us. You'd sit down and have a beer, great craic, very unassuming.”
“He got the phone call from Marvel when I was there. As you all know, I'm Miss Marple, so I kept at him and at him. I was dying to know what he’d been cast in. He said “Lucy, look, I've lived with you for two days now, I know you're a big mouth. How do I know you're not going to tell everybody? And I said ‘Well… I'll try!’ So I was there when he found out that he was gonna be starring alongside Angelina Jolie.”
IFTN: Was there anyone you had to ask a few times to appear on the show that initially said no?
LUCY: “Big time! We persist until eventually we break them down! They go fine ‘Two nights, three days and then I never want to see her again’. Nathan Carter took a while. Des Caheill took a while, I think he was locked into a contract with RTÉ. Katie Price took about three years. Some people take even longer to convince but eventually, and I have said this to Pat Kenny, they all succumb to my charm.”
Livin’ with Lucy will continue on Virgin Media Television later this year.
