Weekend Breakfast with Alison Curtis

Seven studio albums with Wet Wet Wet. Twelve solo albums. Millions sold. He has starred on Broadway and the West End."Love Is All Around" reached number one in 1994 It then remained there for 15 weeks!Throughout its chart run, some radio stations banned the song, as many listeners were fed up of hearing it for so long. Apparently - The band themselves eventually took the decision to delete the record from sale.However, it didn’t make it to number one in Ireland … and guess what kept it off the top spot?Alison chats to Marti about dealing with fame as a teenager, Scotland's link with Canada, and what does 'No Marti, No Party' mean! Can we get our own Marty's Whelan and Morrissey involved!?The WWW debut album ‘Popped In Souled Out’ which established Marti and the band as one of the greatest talents to ever come out of Scotland. The record earned him a BRIT Award and four platinum discs in the UK alone.He will play it in full with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra @ 3Arena Dublin on 10th March 2024

Ryan O'Sullivan is 30 and is a Culinary Studies graduate of MTU (Munster Technological University) He is originally from Gurranabraher in Cork CityHe had previously worked in the Maryborough and River Lee hotels in Cork city before relocating to the US to further his career, landing a job at the Mirasol County Club in Florida in 2018.He fought off 17 other highly talented chefs to take the top prize of $250,000 and a head chef role in Gordon Ramsay's famous Hell's Kitchen Las Vegas restaurant.Winner of season 22 – it took seven weeks of intense filming. He had to keep the outcome a secret the whole time!

A young Cork entrepreneur who first started with bringing his homemade energy balls to college lectures has signed a contract worth €1 million with supermarket chain ALDI.Matthew Collins is from Ballydesmond in Cork and he founded The Sibly Food Co. in 2018.After years of making product for friends, then selling at markets he recently has signed a 12 month contract to supply ALDI’s 161 Irish stores with its popular Energy Balls product.He started making his own homemade energy balls and bringing them to college lectures at the age of 21.After classmates encouraged him to sell his produce, Matthew set up a stall at a Christmas Market in Kanturk where his energy balls proved a big hit with customers and his business has grown hugely since then.He applied for the ‘Grow with ALDI’ programme in 2022 and was selected as one of five winners of the supplier development programme.He told Alison his story.

Spring has nearly sprung and we are looking to emerge from hibernation and looking for things that we can do with the kids that don’t involve screens!!Lilly Higgins is a TV chef, a crafting genius and a Mum to 3 kids - she shares her best tips for keeping them off screens and doing achievable activities that will empower them and also are loads of fun.Some suggestions by Lilly include:Toad Stool CentrepieceJewellery TreeTie-dye teesAll are available in her book ‘The Homemade Year’ by Lilly HigginsFollow her on  Insta:  lilly_higgins_

One of our very favourite people in TodayFM and ever joined Alison Curtis for a chat!Paula is usually heard Sunday to Thursday evenings from 7 on TodayFM. She joined Alison to chat wardrobes and why 'dopamine dressing' is so important especially this time of year.

Holiday prices are rising but that doesn’t seem to be stopping us booking holidays at home or abroad.A survey of Irish holidaymakers found over 43% are planning to take three or more holidays in 2024. Whilst over 60% of claim that rising living costs will impact their travel plans, fewer than 2% say they will not travel at all.Irish Independent, Travel Editor - Pol O Conghaile joined us to talk about Ireland's obsession and need for breaks no matter how big or small - home and abroad.He tells us all about the Irish Independent Reader Travel Awards - Best holiday county? Best hotel in Ireland? Best overseas city break? The best holiday spot abroad? and much more

Matty Edgell's life changed the minute he was crowned Great British Bake Off Winner 2023.Although he gained instant fame after winning one of Telly's biggest shows he has remained grounded and as normal as he can. He is 28 and works as a P.E. and Science teacher in Peterborough, UK and is one of the nicest, genuine people we have interviewed on the show.When the first episode of the series was aired on Channel 4, Matty had to apologise to his friends who were only just finding out “his best kept secret”: that he is an undercover home baker!Matty beat fellow finalist Josh and Dan to be crowned Bake Off Champion 2023 – the people’s champion. He described himself as the “official underdog”He watched the final in his local and when Alison Hammond (who he ADORES!) made the announcement it was like a cheer in a football match!Judge Prue Leith said: "I've never met a more cheerful, smiling uncomplaining and willing baker,"Matty told Alison Curtis all about the Bake Off WhatsApp group, making friends for life, his upcoming wedding - will he make the cake, behind the scenes goss and who he loves the most inside the tent! (Clue: she made him laugh so much he had to steady himself to bake!)

She has been described as the Irish Stacey Solomon!And she has even worked with Stacey's team from 'Sort Your Life Out' and trained under Dilly Carter from the show! However, the Stacey similarities don't stop there; as Hazel admits herself she is the head off the English presenter who is one of her heroes.Hazel from 'The Home Reset' joined us last year and we got such a good reaction to our chat and follow up podcast that we thought with it being January and all, it is a great time to have her back on! We love Stace... I mean Hazel! Enjoy

Arthur Gourounlian is one of The Holy Trinity of judges on Dancing With The Stars!And we LOVE HIM! AG joined us again for a fab bubbly chat to talk the first week of DWTS, who has really impressed him, who surprised him (clue: he spent his career riding and now he has to keep up his form!) and the rest of the goss! Arthur also reveals his dance lessons with husband Brian! Plus, loads more.

The days are colder, but this news really warmed our hearts. One of our favourite shows The Great Pottery Throwdown starts again on Channel 4.  12 potters, 10 weeks of passion, creativity, imagination, humour and maybe even some tears!Friend of the show Keith Brymer-Jones is the head judge on this fabulous show and he spoke to Alison about being back with his BFFs Siobhan and Rich, his brand new tour, his love for the show and the contestants, being friends with a young Shane MacGowan, the new Canadian version of Pottery Throwdown featuring Seth Rogen plus loads moreCatch The Great Pottery Throwdown every Sunday on Channel 4 @ 7.45pm