Donal Skehan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Donal Skehan
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Skehan in 2009
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| Born | 3 June 1986 |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 2006–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Sofie Larsson
(m. 2015) |
| Children | 2 |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | Pop |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 2006–2010 |
| Labels | MIG Live |
| Associated acts | Streetwize, Industry |
Donal Skehan (born June 3, 1986) is an Irish TV star. He is known for his cooking shows and cookbooks. Donal is also a food writer, photographer, and used to be a singer. You might know him from his TV shows or his popular YouTube channel.
Donal was also part of a boy band called Streetwize. Later, he sang with another band called Industry. With Industry, he had two songs that reached number one on the Irish music charts in 2009.
Contents
Donal's Early Life
Donal grew up in Howth, a town in Ireland. His parents, Dermot and Liz, worked in the food business. They had their own company that delivered food. Donal went to Sutton Park School. After that, he studied media at Dublin Business School.
Donal's TV and Cooking Journey
Starting on TV
Donal first worked as an announcer on a TV channel called Bubble Hits. He shared music news and celebrity gossip.
Becoming a Food Star
Donal loves food! In 2007, he started a blog called Good Mood Food. This blog later became a cookbook.
After being on TV many times, Donal got his own cooking show. It was called Kitchen Hero and started in 2011 on RTÉ One. He also wrote a cookbook based on the show. More seasons and a Christmas special came out in 2012.
In 2012, Donal became a judge on Junior MasterChef for the BBC. He worked with chef John Torode. In 2013, he started his own YouTube channel. It grew very popular and now has over 1 million subscribers!
Donal also hosted a show called Follow Donal for Food Network UK. In this show, he explored Vietnam and then visited ten cities in Europe. He even appeared on a Swedish food show called Mitt kök where he spoke Swedish. Donal is also a guest host on Saturday Kitchen on BBC One. In 2021, his book Everyday Cook won an award for Cookbook of the Year in Ireland.
Donal's Music Career
Singing with Streetwize
Donal was interested in music from a young age. In 2006, he joined a boy band project called Streetwize. The band toured in Ireland, the UK, and Sweden. They even appeared on a US TV show. Donal left the band early to follow other interests.
Eurovision Song Contest Try-Out
In 2008, Donal tried out to represent Ireland in the Eurovision Song Contest. He sang a pop song called "Double Cross My Heart." He was one of the six finalists, but another act won the chance to go to Eurovision.
Joining Industry
In 2009, Donal joined an Irish band called Industry. The band had great success in Ireland. Two of their songs, "My Baby's Waiting" and "Burn", reached number one on the Irish music charts in 2009. Industry also opened for The Pussycat Dolls at a concert. The band later broke up in 2010.
Donal's Personal Life
In June 2015, Donal married Sofie Larsson. They got married in Dublin City Hall and had their party in County Carlow. They went on their honeymoon to Italy.
From 2016 to 2020, Donal and Sofie lived in Los Angeles. Then they moved back to Dublin. In 2023, they bought a house there.
In June 2017, they shared that they were going to have their first child. Their son was born in Los Angeles in December 2017. In June 2019, they announced they were expecting another child. Their second son was born on November 28, 2019. Both of their sons are now growing up and going to school in Dublin.
Donal's TV Shows
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010–2013 | Kitchen Hero | Presenter | 42 episodes |
| 2012–2014 | Junior MasterChef | Judge | |
| 2013 | Grandma's Boy | Presenter | 13 episodes |
| 2014–2015 | Mitt kök | Presenter | |
| 2014 | Donal's Irish Feast | Presenter | 8 episodes |
| 2015–2016 | Follow Donal... | Presenter | 19 episodes |
| 2015 | Cook, Eat, Burn! | Presenter | 7 episodes |
| 2016 | Saturday Kitchen | Guest presenter | 12 episodes |
| Food Network Star Kids | Judge | 6 episodes | |
| Food Network Star | Guest judge | Season 12, Episode 9: "Food Holiday Fray" | |
| 2017 | Cutthroat Kitchen | Guest judge | Season 15, Episode 4: "Do You Really Wonton Hurt Me?" |
| 2018 | Donals Asian Baking Adventure | Presenter | 10 episodes |
| The Best Thing I Ever Ate | Guest presenter | Season 8, Episode 8: "Throwback" Season 8, Episode 14: "Serious Spice" |
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| Food: Fact or Fiction? | Guest presenter | Season 4, Episode 1: "Brunch Beauties" Season 4, Episode 3: "Game Night" Season 4, Episode 4: "Wicked Good" |
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| 2021 | Baketopia | Judge |
Donal's Web Shows
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2013–2015 | Jamie Oliver's FoodTube | Presenter | 20 episodes |
| 2014 | Donal's Simple Suppers | Presenter | 15 episodes |
| 2016–2018 | Ro's Life | Guest host | "Cheesecake Challenge" "Trying the Doggie Doo Game" "We try the Crazy Toaster Game" |
| 2017–2019 | Nerdy Nummies | Guest host | "Fantastic Beasts Queenie's Apple Strudel" "Baby Shark Cakes!" |
| 2017–2019 | 5 Ingredient... | Presenter | 29 episodes |
| 2018 | Donal Eats LA | Presenter | 5 episodes |
| Donal's Thailand Adventure | Presenter | 3 episodes | |
| 2019 | Weeknight Pasta | Presenter | 4 episodes |
| Click Plate | Presenter | 1 episode | |
| Sweet Tooth | Presenter | 4 episodes |
Donal's Music Songs
Solo Songs
- "Double Cross My Heart" (2008)
Songs with Industry
- "My Baby's Waiting" (2010) (Reached No. 1 on the Irish Singles Chart)
- "Burn" (2009) (Reached No. 1 on the Irish Singles Chart)
- "In Your Arms" (2009)
- "My Mistake" (2009)
- "Drown in the Music" (2010)
- "Kill the DJ" (2010)
Images for kids
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Donal Skehan (right) with other Industry band members in 2009
