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 on June 3, 1986, is a famous Irish TV star, food writer, and cook. He is well-known for his fun cooking shows, popular cookbooks, and his amazing YouTube channel.
Before becoming a food expert, Donal was also a singer. He was part of a boy band called Streetwize. Later, he joined another band named Industry. With Industry, he had two songs that reached number one on the Irish music charts in 2009.
Contents
About Donal's Early Life
Donal grew up in Howth, a lovely place 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 and later studied media in Dublin Business School.
Donal's Journey in TV and Cooking
Becoming a TV Star
Donal started his TV career as an announcer. He worked on an Irish channel called Bubble Hits. There, he shared music news and celebrity gossip.
From Food Blogger to TV Chef
Donal really loved food. In 2007, he started a blog called Good Mood Food. This blog became so popular that it turned into a cookbook!
After appearing on many TV shows and doing live cooking demonstrations, Donal got his own show. It was called Kitchen Hero and started on RTÉ One in May 2011. He also released a cookbook based on the show. More seasons and a Christmas special followed in 2012. His show even aired in the UK on the Good Food network.
In 2012, Donal became a judge on Junior MasterChef for the BBC. He worked alongside chef John Torode. In 2013, after being featured on Jamie Oliver's Foodtube channel, Donal started his own YouTube channel. It has grown hugely and now has over 1 million subscribers!
Donal also hosted a series for Food Network UK called Follow Donal. In this show, he explored Vietnam and then visited ten different cities in Europe. He even appeared on a Swedish food show called Mitt kök, where he spoke Swedish! Donal is also a guest presenter on Saturday Kitchen on BBC One. In 2021, his book Everyday Cook won the Cookbook of the Year award in Ireland.
Donal's Music Career
His Time with Streetwize
Donal was interested in music from a young age. In 2006, he joined an international boy band project called Streetwize. The band toured in Ireland, the UK, and Sweden. They even appeared on a US TV show. Donal later left the band.
Eurovision Song Contest Try-Out
On February 23, 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, Dustin the Turkey, won the competition.
Singing with Industry
In 2009, Donal joined an Irish band called Industry. He was with Lee Hutton, Michele McGrath, and Morgan Deane. Industry had great success in Ireland. They had two songs that reached number one on the Irish Singles Chart: "My Baby's Waiting" in June 2009 and "Burn" in August of the same year.
Industry also opened for The Pussycat Dolls at a big concert in 2009. However, their later songs did not become as popular. The band eventually broke up in 2010.
Donal's Family Life
In June 2015, Donal married Sofie Larsson in Dublin. They had their honeymoon in Italy. From 2016 to 2020, Donal and Sofie lived in Los Angeles. They moved back to Dublin in 2020 and bought a house there in 2023.
In June 2017, Donal and Sofie 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
Donal has been on many TV shows. Here are some of them:
- Kitchen Hero (2010–2013) - He was the presenter.
- Junior MasterChef (2012–2014) - He was a judge.
- Grandma's Boy (2013) - He was the presenter.
- Mitt kök (2014–2015) - He was a presenter on this Swedish show.
- Donal's Irish Feast (2014) - He was the presenter.
- Follow Donal... (2015–2016) - He was the presenter.
- Cook, Eat, Burn! (2015) - He was the presenter.
- Saturday Kitchen (2016) - He was a guest presenter.
- Food Network Star Kids (2016) - He was a judge.
- Food Network Star (2016) - He was a guest judge.
- Cutthroat Kitchen (2017) - He was a guest judge.
- Donals Asian Baking Adventure (2018) - He was the presenter.
- The Best Thing I Ever Ate (2018) - He was a guest presenter.
- Food: Fact or Fiction? (2018) - He was a guest presenter.
- Baketopia (2021) - He was a judge.
Donal's Online Shows
Donal has also created many shows for the internet:
- Jamie Oliver's FoodTube (2013–2015) - He was a presenter.
- Donal's Simple Suppers (2014) - He was a presenter.
- Ro's Life (2016–2018) - He was a guest host.
- Nerdy Nummies (2017–2019) - He was a guest host.
- 5 Ingredient... (2017–2019) - He was a presenter.
- Donal Eats LA (2018) - He was a presenter.
- Donal's Thailand Adventure (2018) - He was a presenter.
- Weeknight Pasta (2019) - He was a presenter.
- Click Plate (2019) - He was a presenter.
- Sweet Tooth (2019) - He was a presenter.
Donal's Music Songs
Solo Songs
- "Double Cross My Heart" (2008)
Songs with Industry
- "My Baby's Waiting" (2010) - This song was number 1 in Ireland!
- "Burn" (2009) - This song was also number 1 in Ireland!
- "In Your Arms" (2009)
- "My Mistake" (2009)
- "Drown in the Music" (2010)
- "Kill the DJ" (2010)
