RTÉ presenter Laura Fox has spoken publicly about marrying her husband Brian Moran twice in one year, and about the nickname the couple adopted after failing to agree on a surname. Appearing on Friday night's edition of The Late Late Show, hosted by Patrick Kielty, Fox discussed the two ceremonies, according to RTÉ.ie.
The pair held a civil ceremony in Dublin in April, then celebrated again in Rome in August. RTÉ.ie reports that the Dublin event was intended to be a quiet occasion but drew 50 friends and relatives.
Why it matters
Fox is one of RTÉ's most visible presenters, and her account of a year that included two weddings and a busy filming schedule offers a rare personal glimpse from a figure usually seen in a presenting role. The interview also served as a platform to promote the new series of Ireland's Fittest Family, which she fronts. The detail about the couple's shared nickname has drawn particular attention because it turns a practical question — which surname to use — into a light-hearted public identity.
A Tuesday message that filled a room
Fox told Kielty that the Dublin ceremony began with an informal note to a WhatsApp group of family and friends. She recalled asking who was available in Dublin on a Tuesday for a wedding, some drinks and possibly something to eat, according to RTÉ.ie.
The response, she said, was immediate: 50 people replied that they had nothing else planned that day and would attend. What had been conceived as a small gathering became a 50-person celebration.
The Italian wedding, by contrast, was arranged in something of a scramble. Fox said the couple kept telling themselves they needed to get around to the planning while friends and relatives asked for details, RTÉ.ie reports. The couple's year was a busy one, and the Rome celebration came together late.
From a surname standoff to "the FOMOs"
Fox also described a long disagreement with Moran over the name they would share after marrying. She wanted Fox; he wanted Moran. Merging the two raised a further problem — which name would come first.
Fox said the answer came to her over a drink, when she landed on "the FOMOs." The name plays on "fear of missing out," which she said suits the couple well because they enjoy a day out whenever the chance arises, according to RTÉ.ie.
Moran proposed flipping the order, but Fox rejected the alternative, feeling "MoFo" lacked the same appeal.
Grandmothers, a patient teenager and missing coaches
Fox was on the programme chiefly to discuss the return of Ireland's Fittest Family. The show's 14th series begins on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player on Sunday, 1 November at 6.30pm.
She said this year's line-up includes a grandmother competing with her two sons and a grandson, and a 14-year-old boy who had waited several years for his chance to take part, RTÉ.ie reports.
Fox also spoke about the difficulty of keeping the show's coaches in line, comparing the task to managing a group of kittens. She said Donncha O'Callaghan tends to wander off in search of coffee while filming, which means the production has to work out where the nearest coffee shop is to find him.
Ireland's Fittest Family returns to RTÉ One and RTÉ Player on Sunday, 1 November at 6.30pm.
