Donal Skehan

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Donal Skehan
Born (1986-06-03) 3 June 1986 (age 38)
Dublin, Ireland
Occupation Singer, television personality, author
Years active 2006-present
Website www.donalskehan.com
Musical career
Genres Pop
Years active 2006–2010
Associated acts Streetwize
Industry

Donal Skehan (born in Dublin, Ireland on 3 June 1986) is an Irish singer, television personality/presenter, food writer/cook and photographer. He was also a member of the boy band 'Streetwize' and vocalist with Industry, earning two #1s on the Irish Singles Chart in 2009. He also took part in Eurosong 2008 to represent Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2008.

Early life

Skehan was interested very early in music. In 2006, he became part of the global/international boy band project Streetwize (alongside Irish Lee Mulhern, British Lee Hutton and Swedish Jonathan Fagerlund) and American Cory Amundson. The original members made a tour in Ireland, UK, Sweden, and appeared on the US television station CN8,[1] a cable television station where they performed in a morning show hosted by Greg Coy singing "Room in Your Heart".[1] Skehan and Jonathan Fagerlund were disenchanted with the progress of the band and left early to be replaced by Venezuelan Antonio Jones and American Kyle Carpenter. His other successful family members include rugby coach and teacher at St. Michael's College, Andrew Skehan. His family worked in the fruit business.

Career

Television personality

After quitting the project band Streetwize, Skehan became an announcer on the Irish entertainment speciality channel Bubble Hits, broadcasting music and entertainment news and celebrity gossip segments. This also created good contacts to take part in Irish preliminaries for Eurovision and in launching the band Industry.

2008 Irish Eurosong preliminaries for Eurovision Song Contest

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Main article: Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008

On 23 February 2008, Skehan took part in Eurosong 2008 in a bid to represent Ireland in the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Double Cross My Heart".[2][3] It is a pop song, described by Skehan as "Eurovision by numbers". Composed by Joel Humlen, Oscar Gorres and Charlie Mason, it was performed by Skehan with two male and two female back-up dancers, as well as a male back-up singer.[4][5] Skehan was one of the Final 6, alongside Dustin the Turkey, Maja, Leona Daly, Liam Geddes and Marc Roberts; with Dustin the Turkey winning with the song "Irelande Douze Pointe".

Industry

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Main article: Industry (Irish band)
File:Industry VideoShoot.jpg
Donal Skehan (far right) as part of the band Industry.

In 2009, Skehan joined the Irish band Industry alongside the English Lee Hutton (his former band mate in Streetwize) and Irish band members Michele McGrath and Morgan Deane. Industry had good success in the Irish charts including two chart topping singles "My Baby's Waiting" in June 2009 and "Burn" in August of the same year on the Irish Singles Chart. In 2009, they were also a supporting act for The Pussycat Dolls at Fitzgerald Stadium. Later Industry single releases like "In Your Arms", "My Mistake", "Drown in the Music" and "Kill the DJ" did not chart. The band broke up in 2010.

Food author and presenter

An avid food enthusiast, Skehan started a blog in 2007 called Good Mood Food that evolved into a cookbook.[6][7]

After many appearances on television, and giving of live demonstrations at social events and shows, he was featured in his own weekly food programme, Kitchen Hero, on RTÉ One that was launched on 16 May 2011 (Mondays at 8:30 pm). A second series and a Christmas special was aired in 2012. UKTV network Good Food began airing the show in April 2012.

In 2011, he published his second book, also titled Kitchen Hero, based upon the television series.

In 2012, Skehan became a co-presenter and judge on Junior MasterChef on the BBC, appearing alongside John Torode.[8]

In March 2015 it was announced that Hodder and Stoughton had bought the World rights to Skehan's new cookbook that will be published in October 2015. [9]

Skehan is also appearing in the Swedish food programme Mitt kök on TV4 where he speaks Swedish.[10]

Personal Life

In June 2015 he married Sofie Larsson in Dublin City Hall followed by a reception in Lisnavagh House in Co Carlow and had their honeymoon in Ravello on Italy's Amalfi Coast.[11]

Bibliography

  • 2009: Good Mood Food: Simple, Healthy Homecooking![12]
  • 2011: Kitchen Hero: Bringing Cooking Back Home[13]
  • 2012: Kitchen Hero: Great Food For Less[14]
  • 2013: Home Cooked[15]
  • 2014: The Pleasures of the table: Rediscovering Theodora FitzGibbon[16]
  • 2015: Fresh[17]
  • From 2014 Feast: A Dinner Journal - quarterly food magazine[18]

Discography

Singles

Solo
  • "Double Cross My Heart" (2008)
As part of Industry

References

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External links

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