Lucy Kennedy’s infectious smile continues to light up our screens every weekday as she joins Martin King for the popular Seven O’Clock Show. Not only that, the mother of two has revived her uber successful Living with Lucy for an exciting new season on TV3, visiting the homes of numerous celebrities including Shane Long, Kerry Katona and Al Porter.

Ahead of welcoming baby number three with her husband Richard Governey this Christmas, we caught up with the Dublin native to chat all things television, parenting and why the simple life means everything to her.

Six months pregnant and you are looking fabulous Lucy!
You have got to be joking me – I am not looking fabulous at all. I am trying to look like a glamorous mummy, but I am just looking like regular mummy.

What were you most excited about with the return of Living with Lucy?
I loved the fact that I didn’t really know any of the celebrities that I moved in with and I quite liked the idea of arriving as a stranger and leaving their homes as a friend. I was with them for a long period of time because it was 46-48 minutes of television, whereas on RTÉ the show was only 26 minutes. I loved the format of the show – it is my baby.

Speaking of babies, you are due around Christmas?
I am due on December, 20th and the chances are that I am going to give birth early. I will be filming The Seven O’Clock Show right up until my due date and I was filming Living with Lucy for the last two months.

Has your replacement been decided yet?
The producers have decided to bring in a new presenter each month throughout my maternity leave, Deirdre O’Kane might do a month and more hosts will fill in for me while I am gone.

Do you get nervous when you see other TV presenters sitting in that chair beside Martin while you are gone?
Anybody can sit in that chair – and I’m confident enough to know that my space will still be there for me when I come back.

You like to keep your marriage away from the public eye – does Richard like to stay away from the limelight?
Yes, interviews are his idea of hell. The fact that he is married to such an open person must have him constantly wondering what I am going to say next. We have been together for the past 17 years so I am sure that he is used to me at this stage. He doesn’t understand how I can turn up to a stranger’s door and move into their spare room – but I love it!

He is quiet and you are so open, is that what makes your relationship work?
He is the yin to my yang, the Podge to my Rodge!

How are you finding the pregnancy third time around?
I had morning sickness to begin with. But I have been there and done that, I know that everything is normal and every twinge is okay. This is my last pregnancy and I am enjoying it the most. It is an active baby though, there is a lot of kicking going on. My money is on a boy because it is kicking so much, or else it is a very aggressive girl.

Are you doing anything differently with your pregnancy this time around?
I said I was going to be better food wise this time around, but I am not. I am literally eating for two people and I will have to step away from the carbs and the fridge in January.

So you could have a soccer player on your hands with all that kicking?
I could be carrying the next Shane Long!

What was it like living with Shane and Kayleah?
They are such a nice family, really warm and funny. They have two gorgeous girls, Teigan and Erin, who I loved and I felt very much at home with them. Shane has such a fantastic lifestyle, but he is so humble about it, he is not in any way flashy or showy. They would be my friends in real life if they lived in Ireland, they are so normal.

Do you get to bond with the people that you meet on the show?
I know within seconds if we are going to be friends after the show or not.

Your daughter Holly started school last month, were you emotional letting her go at the front gate?
I kept telling her “Mummy loves you” as I continued to kiss her little head; she told me she was fine before the teacher politely got me to leave the classroom – I was the last parent to go.

Were you a bag of nerves?
I didn’t sleep well the night before she started and I kept thinking about her that day. She wanted to make her packed lunch the weekend before she started and I had to explain that the bread would be a little bit stale! The innocence was so cute.

Does that bring up your own school memories?
I remember the smell of cheese and onion crisps, pencils and rotten bananas when I was about eight years old.

How was the school experience for you?
I loved school the whole way through and I am still friends with people that I started with when I was four years old. They are the pals that I will go out with at the weekend. I don’t lead a very glamorous life, I am happiest when I am at home or with my besties.

Are you a strict parent?
I give out and nag all day, but I don’t think they take me very seriously, whereas if my husband gives out, they listen to him. I am a fun mum and I am always very fair. I am also a very needy mother and I have to kiss and cuddle them all of the time. My son is six now so he is getting a bit too cool for my affection.

Let’s roll back the clock a little, how did you and Richard meet?
We met years and years ago, however we only officially “got together” at his sister’s wedding. His sister and my sister thought that we would make a nice couple and we got talking on the day, he is my lobster!

Did any similar romances come out of your wedding?
A few of our friends might have snogged because we seated all of the single people together, but nobody would tell me anything.

Catch Lucy alongside Martin King on The Seven O’Clock Show every evening on TV3

Interview by Mikie O’Loughlin