Jennifer Zamparelli: ‘I’ve worked hard to get to this place’

“Are there any celebrities left in Ireland at this stage that haven’t already taken part?”

That’s the quip from Jennifer Zamparelli, when asked if she has any inkling into who will be taking part in the next season of RTÉ’s ever-popular Dancing With The Stars.

Jennifer, who has co-presented the hit show for seven series, is, of course, being her typical sardonic self and says that not only does she have no idea who will be taking centre stage come January, she doesn’t even know if she’ll be back herself.

“I don’t usually get the call until late August so you’re really left hanging! Of course, I’ll say yes if I’m asked!” said Jennifer, 45.

The presenter and broadcaster, known for her razor-sharp wit, is currently in rehearsals for The Rocky Horror Show which is taking to stages in Dublin, Derry, and Cork this month. Jennifer will join singing superstar Jason Donovan as The Narrator in the musical which enjoys a cult following.

Having previously wowed in Priscilla Queen of the Desert at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Jennifer is no stranger to musical theatre and is excited to be part of the enduring musical which was first performed in 1973.

“I didn’t even have to think when I was asked to be part of this – it was like ‘Hell yeah,’ straight away as I wanted to get back on stage and this is a musical that has really stood the test of time, that’s almost more important now than ever, about sexual fluidity, acceptance, and no judgement. It’s an important piece of art,” she said.

She’s looking forward to bringing her own twist to the show with eight performances a week, even if she admits it’s a little out of her comfort zone.

“I know I’ve one good show in me a week – I just hope that I’ve got eight! This is such an iconic show and I’m honoured to be asked so I just don’t want to stand out like a sore thumb!” she said.

That’s unlikely as the mother-of-two is a consummate professional who excels at everything she does, including her 10 year stint behind the mic at 2FM.

It’s a year since she walked away from hosting her own morning show and while she says she misses being on the radio, she was without a shadow of a doubt ‘done’. “I just had a gut feeling that it was time to move – I absolutely enjoyed every single show, but I had nothing left to give it,” she said.

Being on radio, she said, is “relentless and very demanding” and the time was right for her family – she’s mum to Florence, 10, and Enzo, 7 – for her to step back from that role.

“Also, my husband Lau and I have such different jobs, he’s a stuntman and he’s away on set quite a bit so it was getting too tricky to manage everything and it was his time,” she said.

Jennifer took a well-earned breather after working non-stop for 20 years and more.

“I was exhausted and I wanted to get myself to a good place where I was firing on all cylinders again,” she said. “That time was great and it was lovely not to be making decisions in a rush.

“I’m now in a really fortunate position to be able to take on shorter passion projects that are flexible and work with the family,” she said, and they include podcast work and a role in an independent film.

“I’m aware that this is a luxury that not everyone has. I do feel very fortunate. I still have to work, but I’ve worked hard to get to a place where I can take on more project- based work,” she said.

A lesser known fact is that Jennifer, who started out in marketing, is also the co-owner of a hair salon.

Then there’s the DWTS gig which she really enjoys, despite the intensity of the TV run from January to March. When she still had the radio show, it meant she was working seven days a week.

Not surprisingly so, she wasn’t hitting the town with the crew after the show.

“Most of the time I’d be taking off my dress at the side of the stage and getting into the leggings or shorts before the show even ended and was the first one off set! I used to drive my husband’s two-seater Ford Transit to work because he needed the car with the kids for the weekend, and you could see the audience doing a double take when they were coming out and I was heading off home in the van! Then it was home, a small glass of wine and straight to bed before going on air the next morning,” she said.

Not that she’s complaining.

“A lot of different pressures come with the show – I mean, you work really hard on the script and everything else and then all people care about is what you are wearing. But I suppose we don’t mind. There’s very few shows like it in Ireland.

“Normal TV isn’t at all glamorous – you could be sitting in the back of a car waiting to shoot, getting a sandwich from a garage, it’s tough. This is a joy to work on.”

She enjoys working with her co-presenter and mum to be Doireann Garrihy.

“We do keep in contact with each other – she’s lovely to work with, very easy,” said Jennifer.

We have to ask: does she have nightmares about falling down those iconic stairs on the DWTS set?

“No, I’m OK with the stairs at this point but I do have nightmares about not being able to read the autocue!”she admits.

To a younger generation, this is what she’s known as, the glamorous presenter on DWTS, but to others she’s remembered from her stint on the BBC’s reality show The Apprentice in 2008.

“It seems like a different life,” she admits.

She was 27 at the time and working in sales in Bristol. Her motivation was to get a job in London where Lau was based at the time.

“I was one of 20,000 people who auditioned, I get in, and then I got fired in front of 8m people,” she said.

Previously, she described the experience as ‘traumautic’ and said she’s ‘amazed’ she got out unscathed, but despite that she has no regrets about the experience.

“I learned so much from it, it brought a lot of exposure but also led to a lot of opportunities,” she said, referring to her roles in Republic Of Telly, Bridget And Eamon, her radio show and now DTWS.

When you list it all out, it’s not really a surprise that she needed some time out, even if wasn’t exactly time off.

There’s a definite sense Jennifer is happy with her lot.

“I am, very happy and content – I love what you do and that makes it easy to give 100%,” she said.

For now, she’s ready to don her fishnets and bring laughs, thrills and time-warping fun to audiences at The Rocky Horror Show.

“It’s outrageous, it’s hilarious, and whether you’re a diehard fan or a first timer, this is one experience you won’t want to miss!” she said.