Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Operation Transformation picks its first leaders for new series

The show will get underway again in the new year.

THE FIRST CONTESTANTS for the new series of RTÉ’s hugely popular Operation Transformation have been announced.

The programme sees a group of individuals aim to lose weight and adopt changes to their lifestyles.

The series that ran at the start of this year saw an average of 470,500 viewers drawn in each night, and the five contestants eventually losing a combined total of almost 10 stone.

The new programme is set to return to the nation’s screens in January and the contestants are currently being selected on RTÉ Radio One’s Ray D’Arcy Show.

New leaders 

The first two leaders of this year’s series are 50-year-old Noeleen Lynam and 44-year-old Dan Kennedy.

Lynam currently weighs 11 stone and is vice-principal at St Patrick’s National School in Co Meath.

operation transformation Operation Transformation leader Noeleen Lynam RTÉ RTÉ

She is hoping her involvement in the programme will help her make long-term changes to her lifestyle – and help steer her away from another fad diet.

She has put on two stone over the past two years and thinks that if she doesn’t take action now, she’ll end up putting it off forever.

Lynam is also hoping that her efforts will inspire the children at her school to take a better approach to diet and exercise.

Kennedy, a 44-year-old bachelor from Beaumont in Co Dublin, is 5 ft 11 in and currently weighs in at 19 stone.

operation transformation -2 Dan Kennedy with host Kathryn Thomas RTÉ RTÉ

Having played football in his youth, he stopped at the age of 33 and a lack of exercise since then has seen his weight rise.

When he was five-years-old, Dan’s father, who was also Dan, died of a massive heart attack at the age of 45, a milestone that Dan will be hitting next year – something that has spurred him on to get involved this year.

Read: Some people in the North can’t watch Operation Transformation, but RTÉ says it’s not to blame

Also: Here’s how much weight the Operation Transformation leaders lost

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

Author
Michael Sheils McNamee
View 17 comments
Close
17 Comments
    Submit a report
    Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
    Thank you for the feedback
    Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.
    JournalTv
    News in 60 seconds