Stephen Byrne (broadcaster) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Stephen Byrne
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Nationality |
|
| Occupation | Media personality |
| Employer | RTÉ |
| Known for |
|
Stephen Byrne is a well-known Irish-Australian personality. He works in radio, television, and online. He started by making videos on YouTube. Later, he was discovered by RTÉ, a big Irish TV and radio company. He has hosted many popular shows for them. These include Two Tube on RTÉ Two and Weekenders on RTÉ 2fm.
Contents
Meet Stephen Byrne
Early Life and School
Stephen spent some of his childhood in Melbourne, Australia. He has citizenship for both Ireland and Australia. He went to Clonkeen College and The Institute of Education in Dublin. In one of his videos, Stephen shared that he went to school with the famous duo Jedward.
Becoming a TV Star
Stephen's TV journey began in September 2008. Producers found his YouTube channel, called 3sixty5days. His first TV job was on ApartmentRED. This was a new kind of show for RTÉ. It was shown both online and on RTÉ Two on Saturday mornings. On the show, Stephen played a funny, exaggerated version of himself. He lived in an apartment controlled by a "Big Brother" type character. He worked on ApartmentRED for two years.
In February 2010, Stephen became the main presenter of Two Tube on RTÉ Two. This show was live five days a week for two hours each day. It covered exciting topics like sports, technology, entertainment, and music. In September 2010, Stephen joined The Rumour Room on TRTÉ. He talked with viewers online using Facebook and Twitter. This allowed them to help decide what happened on the show. The program also had many music videos and funny sketches. Stephen wrote and appeared in these sketches. In September 2011, he started hosting Juice. This RTÉ entertainment show aired three times a week. It featured interviews with celebrities, online chats with the audience, and style spotting.
Special TV Projects
In March 2012, Stephen hosted a special show called #HowToBeIrish for RTÉ One. He worked with RTÉ 2fm presenter Rick O'Shea and model Faye Dinsmore. This documentary was made completely from video clips sent in by Irish people worldwide. They shared what being Irish meant to them. The show was broadcast on Saint Patrick's Day. It was the first RTÉ show made entirely from videos sent by viewers. It was also the first to be shown online at the same time as on TV, working with YouTube. The show was a huge hit, and the hashtag #HowToBeIrish was popular on Twitter for a whole day.
In October 2012, Stephen returned to a new version of Two Tube. The TV show ended in 2016, but it continued online until early 2017. In January 2013, he joined The Voice of Ireland. He was the new backstage V-Reporter for the second season. From 2013 to 2018, Stephen hosted RTÉ's coverage of the Oscar Red Carpet. He interviewed stars live from Los Angeles. In 2018, Stephen made a documentary for RTÉ called Leaving Again. In it, he took the Leaving Certificate exam again. He wanted to show the pressure and stress students face in school. He also explored how this can affect their mental health.
Radio Shows
Stephen used to host a show called Weekenders on RTÉ 2FM. It was on every Saturday and Sunday. First, it aired from 1 PM to 4 PM, then from 3 PM to 5 PM. His show took the place of Weekenders with Ruth Scott. Stephen left RTÉ 2fm at the end of March 2022.
Online Adventures
3sixty5days
Stephen started making funny videos online in August 2007. He was 17 years old at the time. His channel was called 3sixty5days. His videos have been watched over 5.4 million times in total. In February 2009, YouTube featured his video "Because of YouTube" on its front page. This video has over 670,000 views to date. It also received more than 600 video responses from other users. Stephen has talked in Ireland and other countries about how online communities work in modern media. Stephen also made a funny version of Lady Gaga's song "Bad Romance". He called his version "Banana Hands". This song was played on radio stations in Ireland and other countries, including RTÉ 2FM and BBC Radio 1.
ApartmentRED Online
After making his own online videos for a year, Stephen was hired by RTÉ in 2008. He starred in their first show that used both TV and online, ApartmentRED. The show was watched over 4.9 million times. It also won many awards across Europe. These included the Prix Circum for cross-media programming in 2009. In 2009, the show released a three-minute recording of Stephen coughing over samba music. This song went into the Irish music charts. It was released to help Reach Out. This is an online charity that helps teenagers with mental health awareness. The song reached No. 1 on the Irish Alternative Charts.
Awards and Recognition
Stephen was nominated for TV Newcomer of the Year in 2010. This was at the TV Now Awards in Dublin.
In May 2011, he won a Bord Gáis Energy Social Media Award. He won for 'Most Innovative Use of Social Media'. This was for how he used social media to interact with the audience on The Rumour Room.
In May 2013, Stephen was named one of 16 international winners. This was in YouTube and Google's 'Next Up' competition.
