Stephen Byrne (broadcaster) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Stephen Byrne
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| Occupation | Media personality |
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Stephen Byrne is an Irish and Australian media star who is known for his work on the radio, on television, and on the internet. He first became famous on YouTube. This led to him being discovered by the Irish TV network RTÉ. He went on to host many shows for them, including Two Tube on RTÉ Two and Weekenders on RTÉ 2fm.
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Early Life and School
Stephen grew up partly in Melbourne, Australia. Because of this, he is a citizen of both Ireland and Australia.
He went to school at Clonkeen College and later at The Institute of Education in Dublin. In one of his videos, Stephen and the pop duo Jedward shared that they all went to the same school.
Career in Television
Starting on TV
Stephen's TV career began in September 2008. Producers at RTÉ found his YouTube channel, called 3sixty5days, and liked his videos. His first TV job was on a show called ApartmentRED. It was special because it was broadcast on TV and online at the same time.
On the show, Stephen played a funnier, more exaggerated version of himself. He pretended to live in an apartment where a "Big Brother" type character was in control. He was on ApartmentRED for two years.
Hosting Live Shows
In February 2010, Stephen became the main host of Two Tube on RTÉ Two. The show was broadcast live for two hours every weekday. It covered topics like sports, new technology, music, and entertainment news.
Later that year, he joined another show called The Rumour Room. A big part of his job was to talk with viewers online through Facebook and Twitter. This allowed the audience to help decide what would happen on the show. Stephen also wrote and acted in many funny sketches for the programme.
In 2011, he started hosting Juice, an entertainment show that was on three times a week. It featured interviews with celebrities and audience interaction.
Making Documentaries
In 2012, Stephen hosted a special documentary for Saint Patrick's Day called #HowToBeIrish. It was made entirely from video clips sent in by Irish people from all over the world. In the show, Stephen also told a story about his great-grandfather who was part of the Irish Civil War. The show was a big hit and was the first RTÉ programme made completely from videos sent in by viewers.
From 2013 to 2018, he hosted RTÉ's coverage of the Oscar Red Carpet live from Los Angeles. In 2016, he presented a documentary called Playing Straight. It explored why it can be difficult for professional soccer players to be open about who they are.
In 2018, Stephen made another documentary for RTÉ called Leaving Again. For this show, he took the difficult Leaving Certificate exams a second time. He did this to show how much pressure and stress students face in the school system.
Radio and Online Career
From YouTube to Radio
Stephen started his YouTube channel, 3sixty5days, in August 2007 when he was 17. He made comedy videos that have been watched over 5.4 million times. One of his videos, "Because of YouTube," was even featured on YouTube's front page in 2009.
He also made a funny parody of Lady Gaga's song "Bad Romance", which he called "Banana Hands". The song was played on radio stations in Ireland and the UK.
For several years, Stephen hosted a weekend radio show on RTÉ 2FM called Weekenders. He left the radio station at the end of March 2022.
Awards and Recognition
In March 2009, Stephen was voted as one of the RTÉ Guide's top male TV stars. He was also nominated for TV Newcomer of the Year at the 2010 TV Now Awards.
In 2011, he won a Social Media Award for his creative use of social media on the show The Rumour Room. In 2013, he was chosen as one of 16 international winners of YouTube and Google's 'Next Up' competition, which supports rising creators.
