‘I’m very content’ – Jennifer Zamparelli admits she was ‘getting a bit stuck’ before 2FM exit

"I miss the crew and doing the show but I've done ten years," she told the Irish Independent at the launch of the 2025 season at the Bord Gais Energy Theatre in Grand Canal Dock this morning.

"I do feel like it was time to move on. I felt like this is going to be the same for a while so I need to make a drastic decision now. I'm not afraid to do stuff like that, so it worked out."

Zamparelli was one of the five high-profile presenters who surprised Irish audiences when she announced her departure from the station six months ago.

Doireann Garrihy, The 2 Johnnies and Donncha O'Callaghan also left the station.

"I'm very content," she added.

"I am excited that I have space in my life to be able to audition and do things like this. I've got loads of things, exciting projects lined up that I never had time to do before, or space in my brain to even consider.

"I've read a load of books. I'm flat out in the gym and I'm just enjoying this. It's a slower pace but spending time with the kids is great. They wreck my head 90pc of the time but it's nice to be around that."

The presenter revealed her acting debut was on the decks of the Bord Gais in 2011 with Jason Donovan when she was performing in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.

"I had to fly to London to audition. I remember walking to Pineapple Dance Studios and going 'Oh My God! This place is iconic' and then having to do the full audition," she said.

"The thing about a place like the Bord Gais and why it's so special is that we get to see the big shows. We don't have to do it when we're in London. We don't have to do it when we're in New York. These big shows come to see us and they're so accessible now because of the Bord Gais.

"My daughter was actually raging this morning because the deal is that every time I go to the Bord Gais I have to take her. I took her to see Wicked and to see loads of shows so I want her memory to be that I took her to the theatre, my mom always did it with me."

She added that she has carried over elements from her time as a performer to her profession as a presenter and that a return to the stage was an option.

"Nothing prepares you for live unless you're doing live and you get their air miles because it's all experience. The only reason I was able to master Dancing With The Stars is because I was doing live radio. So it's all kind of entertained at the end of the day. It's nice to be able to do very different mediums because I love them all," she said.

"Stage is very demanding and very time consuming, do you know what I mean? Especially with kids, it would have to be the right project, but I would love to. I would absolutely love to. It's definitely on the cards."