She definitely has a face for television and you will recognise Caroline Twohig as the anchor of 3e’s prime time news and entertainment show “fyi” which airs at 6pm, every weekday on 3e. Caroline has featured on several TV shows as a panellist or commentator, including Vincent Browne, Midday, TV3 Celeb Documentaries, and Xpose as well as having a weekly slot on The Morning Show with Sybil and Martin where she reviews things on the internet. Caroline chats to Fashion.ie about her career in TV and lots of personal stuff that you may not already know about the Glasnevan girl.

CAROLINE TWOHIG ON TV 5 NIGHTS A WEEK

Where did you grow up?
I grew up on the North side of Dublin in Glasnevin with my two sisters, Mam and Dad.

How do you think other people would describe you in 3 words?
Friendly, caring and a workaholic!

Did you always want to be a TV presenter, How did you get your break in TV3?
I’ve been in TV3 for 8 years now and never wanted to be on screen until I started working in the news department.  I soon realised that to be a reporter I would have to be on camera, so I got some practise in whenever I had a chance.  I kept voicing reports, working as a radio news anchor at the weekend and eventually got to do a screen test for the new 3e news. I never thought I would get it, but I did, and now being on camera is just part of the job.

What was your first paid job?
I worked as a waitress in a really busy café in town and was constantly on the go, I remember thinking how hard working was! Thankfully the jobs got a bit easier after that one.

Single / Married?
Not married, but in a relationship.

Do you remember how old you were when you first started caring about how you dressed? Describe how you dressed in your teenage years?
I loved to dress up as a kid, I had a design book of dresses from the age of 7 and would draw new ones almost every day. My favourite were the big puffy princess ones, and I would go for a frilly number any chance I got. Unfortunately I lost my girly style in my teenage years and dressed mostly in tracksuits, jeans and shirts…it wasn’t a fashionable period of my life!

As a teenager, what celebrates would have inspired your fashion sense at that time and who today would you think are well dressed celebrities?
In my later teens I got more into girly clothes and would often look for fashion ideas in Smash Hits and the likes.  I always remember thinking how well Kylie Minogue dressed and once bought a long black dress like the one I saw on her. I actually still have it!

What are your favourite colours?
I love royal blue and navy in clothes, but purple would have to be my favourite non fashion related colour.

What is your favourite piece of clothing and why?
I recently bought a dusky pink dress with a massive V shape of embellishment down the front. Its very structured and shows off your waist but also has a flowing skirt with a dipped hem. I love it because it’s soft and girly but edgy at the same time.

CAROLINE IS THE FACE OF 3e'S FYI

Describe what you like to wear on casual nights out?
I love being able to put on one item and be dressed for the night, so a dress, tights (now that is winter again) and flats are my idea of a casual outfit. 

Where would you normally shop for clothes?
Work tends to take up a lot of time during the week so I do some shopping online but when it comes to hitting the highstreet I often shop in Warehouse, Awear and Pennys.

When shopping for clothes, do you go for what is trendy or what works or looks good on you, describe?
I never try to shop for trends, I always go for clothes that catch my eye and fit well.  It’s important to wear structured clothes on camera and I want to make sure I feel comfortable too.

What’s the best fashion advice you have ever been given and by whom?
Don’t try to dress like someone else, a colleague in TV3 when I first got the job as the anchor for FYI…It really is good advice.

Do like to accessorize?
I’m like a magpie when it comes to accessories. I love chunky neckpieces and always seem to buy gold to wear with black tops. I sometimes get called Cleopatra by friends in work! Belts are another favourite they can really make an old outfit look new.

Do you have any favourite fashion design labels or fashion designers?
I love Jennifer Rothwell, she’s an Irish designer and makes beautiful dresses to compliment women’s figures. 

How do you plan your outfits for television?
Normally at the weekend I plan out 5 outfits for the following week. It takes a while as you have to make sure the colours won’t jar on screen and that you’re not wearing the same styles twice in a week. 

Have you ever had a wardrobe malfunction, explain?
Thankfully not on air, I had a close call once when a belt broke just before we went live, but I managed to get it off and hook my microphone back on before the show started.  After that day my new rule is….when in doubt, leave it out!

DID YOU KNOW THAT CAROLINE HAS 20 PAIRS OF SHOES!

Describe a typical working day in the life of Caroline Twohig?
Oh it’s normally pretty busy and always different to the last but I have a time schedule that I have to keep to. I start work at 11am and arrive into a busy TV3 newsroom to get started on the show.  My first task is to select the top 5 downloads of the day so I get to start off by looking at funny clips on the web! But after the that serious stuff begins, I have to source and research the main world stories of the day before writing, voicing and editing a world news wrap. I also have to report on the top stories of the day for our lunchtime bulletin called Newsbyte. I try to interact with viewers on twitter and facebook in the afternoon too, to see what they think of our news content. Then after lunch I begin working on a wrap up of the world’s newspapers headlines, again I script them up and recording the voice over.   At around 3pm it’s onto the Irish stories of the day and I begin to script them before heading into make-up to get a touch up before the show.  I’ll also speak to the show’s producers throughout the day and keep an eye on the running order before starting to get ready. After hair and make-up I finish my Irish stories, edit them and have a final read over of the live scripts before heading into studio to go live on air at 6pm! The show lasts a half hour although it usually flies in, and there is always an adrenaline rush when your live.  After the show at 6.30 we have a team meeting and then I get writing the FYI update to go to air at 8pm. I always try to respond to any comments on facebook before finishing for the day, but I usually leave the newsroom at around 7pm and try to get some exercise in before flopping for the night! They are busy days but I do love the buzz of working on breaking news stories and having to make your deadlines. Sometimes exercising is hard after all that but it helps to destress and puts me in a good mood…ready for the next mad day!

What is the most embarrassing moment in your life and why?
I once fell while running for a bus in town, I lay there for a  good 5 seconds wishing the ground would swallow me, it was a spectacular fall where I landed flat out with shopping bags flying through the air. But I’ll always remember how two lovely girls came to my aid and picked me up, they even walked with me to the bus stop and told me no one saw me fall, I knew it was a lie, but god bless their kindness!

In your opinion, why do you think, FYI has and is such a successful TV programme?
It offers an alternative to any other news programme on TV and mixes the important stories of the day with plenty of light relief. I think we all need that especially nowadays. I also think the style of the show is a big factor, it is a lot more casual than other news programmes, we’d never dress like other anchors and we don’t speak in formal terms. The pace of the show is fast, modern and interactive and I think it suits the majority of viewers who use social media sites. We always try to bring a fresh approach to the stories that matter and have a laugh once the serious news it out of the way.

Would you strip for Playboy for $1 million dollars, explain?
Nope, you can’t buy your dignity back! But I’ve nothing against those who do strip for money if they are comfortable with it. I wouldn’t be, not matter how much was offered.

What type of music do you listen, favourite band / artist?
I love Motown music, Stevie Wonder is my favourite all time artist but I have to say I love bopping along to any Beyonce tune.

FYI PRESENTERS CAROLINE TWOHIG AND PAUL WALSH

What TV shows do you like to watch when chilling out?
I normally catch Family Guy, American Dad and Conan on 3e at night, but I also love Modern Family.

If you could have dinner with 3 well know people (past or present) who would you chose and why?
My grandmother who died before I was born, Hilary Clinton and my Mam…it’d be a great girly get together!

If you could present any current show in the world today, what show would you chose and why?
I love the CNN reports in the states, there is one reporter in New York called Jeanie Moos who does her own section on quirky news stories, that’d be right up my alley!

Denim or leather?
Leather

On night out, boot or shoes?
Shoes

On holiday, bikini or swimsuit?
Bikini

On night out, dress or trousers?
Dress

Roughly, how many pair of shoes do you own?
About 20!