Paddy, who has cerebral palsy, says the new show will be about empowerment and giving people confidence through fashion
By Sarah Curran 3rd December 2018 The Irish Sun
FIRST Dates star Paddy Smyth is hoping to “break down barriers” for the disabled when he hosts a new RTE show.
The cerebral palsy sufferer, 30, has been chosen to front The Fitting Room, which will air next year.
He said: “They’re letting me, a gay disabled person, present a show about fashion. That would have been unheard of before!”
Dubliner Paddy, who walks with the aid of crutches, has previously admitted to being bullied at school and struggling to get employed due to his disability.
His Snapchat account, using the tag #MyDisabledLife, is a no-holds-barred look into how he tries to deal with his movement disorder and live a normal life.
And he says the new RTE show will be all about empowerment and giving people their confidence back through fashion.
The Fitting Room will see people with disabilities paired with some of Ireland’s top designers to create a bespoke wardrobe.
Paddy told the Irish Sun: “The Fitting Room will feature people who are disabled, but also people who have just kind of lost their sense of style and want to revamp who they are.
“I’ll be with them through their journey to find out what they’re looking for, and learn about their story.”
The Sutton native, who took his sister Mel to RTE’s Player relaunch bash last month, hopes the show will strike a blow against the ‘Kardashianisation’ of society.
He explained: “It’s about breaking that Instagram idea of one image fits all by showing viewers that you can be beautiful no matter what you look like.
“There were lots of applicants for the show but we wanted people to tell their story. It’s all about giving a voice to those who maybe don’t have one in this day and age.”
Paddy won the hearts of viewers when he appeared on the Irish version of First Dates last year and kissed his date James. Sadly they haven’t met up since, but he has no regrets about the experience.
Speaking to the Irish Sun at the time, he said: “I signed up for First Dates because somebody has to shine a light on what it’s like to date with a disability. Someone has to pull down the barriers.
“I’m a hopeless romantic at heart and I believe there has to be someone out there for me. It upsets me that I have insecurities but I just feel that if I don’t push the boundaries, who’s going to?”
He added: “There is a bit of change now around dating with disabilities and I hope I’m part of that movement because for the first time in my life I feel attractive.”
The former media studies student admits that he was blown away when RTE offered him his own show.
He said: “It’s insane, but I can’t wait to get started. I think Ireland as a whole is inclusive, so I think RTE have really gone with the times. Maybe this is me breaking a barrier too.”
And the sassy social media star has high hopes for his TV career, with dreams of fronting his own chat show down the line.
Asked if he was plotting to take Ryan Tubridy’s Late Late throne, Paddy retorted: “No, I want to be the next Graham Norton, hun!”
He added: “I’m excited, it’s something that I’ve always wanted to do. I can’t believe they gave me this opportunity — but I’m going to take it by the horns and see what I can do with it.”