Colette Fitzpatrick announced as Newstalk weekend host

Colette Fitzpatrick at the IFTA Awards 2015 at The Mansion House

Colette Fitzpatrick at the opening night of the Cinderella panto at the Tivoli Theatre

Colette Fitzpatrick at the launch of the Marks Spencer 2013 Autumn Winter Collection in the Royal Hibernian Academy on Ely Place

TV3 news anchor Colette Fitzpatrick

TV3's Colette Fitzpatrick

Colette Fitzpatrick at the 2013 IFTAs. Photo: Kyran O'Brien

Colette Fitzpatrick at the lunch of Daffodil Day

Guests arrive at the Irish Premiere of 'Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues' at The Savoy, Dublin, Ireland - 09.12.13. Pictures: Cathal Burke / VIPIRELAND.COM *** Local Caption *** Colette Fitzpatrick

Colette Fitzpatrick

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thumbnail: Colette Fitzpatrick at the IFTA Awards 2015 at The Mansion House
thumbnail: Colette Fitzpatrick at the opening night of the Cinderella panto at the Tivoli Theatre
thumbnail: Colette Fitzpatrick at the launch of the Marks Spencer 2013 Autumn Winter Collection in the Royal Hibernian Academy on Ely Place
thumbnail: TV3 news anchor Colette Fitzpatrick
thumbnail: TV3's Colette Fitzpatrick
thumbnail: Colette Fitzpatrick at the 2013 IFTAs. Photo: Kyran O'Brien
thumbnail: Colette Fitzpatrick at the lunch of Daffodil Day
thumbnail: Guests arrive at the Irish Premiere of 'Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues' at The Savoy, Dublin, Ireland - 09.12.13. Pictures: Cathal Burke / VIPIRELAND.COM *** Local Caption *** Colette Fitzpatrick
thumbnail: Colette Fitzpatrick

Broadcaster Colette Fitzpatrick has been announced as the face of Newstalk’s new weekend show and despite being added to a male heavy line-up on the station, the TV3 news anchor is adamant she’s not a “token woman”.

The Herald columnist (40) will present an hour long slot at 9am on Sunday that will include “panel discussions, features, news and topics of the day”.

Colette is the first high profile woman to front a show on the station since Dragon’s Den star Norah Casey stepped down from her weekly show Mindfeed last year.

“I’d hate for anyone to think that this was a case of ‘we need to get a woman on air so we’ll get Collette’,” the Tipperary woman told the Herald this morning.

“Without bragging, I think I’ve proven myself in journalism over the last couple of decades.

“I’d be insulted if anyone thought I’m just being put on air because I’m a woman. I’ve been filling in here on [Newstalk’s] news programmes so I don’t see myself as a token woman at all.”

Having started her career in local radio, the presenter couldn’t be happier to return to the airwaves this Sunday.

“I’ve been dabbling in radio for a while now, I’ve done some fill in on Jonathan Healy’s programme here at lunchtime, so it’s great,” she said.

“I started off in radio, in East Coast FM, and I cut my teeth in journalism there. I love the fact that I’m going back to it and I can have the TV and radio side by side.”