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RTÉ Operation Transformation leaders collectively lose almost 10 stone

Yvonne Keenan Ross - Operation Transformation Series 10 finale 3 Image Name: Yvonne Keenan Ross - Operation Transformation Series 10 finale 3
Sean Daly - Operation Transformation Series 10 finale Image Name: Sean Daly - Operation Transformation Series 10 finale
Marie Grace - Operation Transformation Series 10 finale 2 Image Name: Marie Grace - Operation Transformation Series 10 finale 2
Mairead Redmond - Operation Transformation Series 10 finale 3 Image Name: Mairead Redmond - Operation Transformation Series 10 finale 3
Chris McElligott - Operation Transformation Series 10 finale 2 Image Name: Chris McElligott - Operation Transformation Series 10 finale 2
Operation Transformation Image Name: Operation Transformation Description: Karl Henry, Aoife Hearne, Dr Ciara Kelly, Dr Eddie Murphy - Operation Transformation Series 10 finale
Operation Transformation Image Name: Operation Transformation Description: Karl Henry, Aoife Hearne,Kathryn Thomas, Dr Ciara Kelly, Dr Eddie Murphy - Operation Transformation Series 10 finale
Operation Transformation Image Name: Operation Transformation Description: Chris McElligott, Yvonne Keenan Ross, Marie Grace, Mairead Redmond, Sean Daly Operation Transformation Series 10 finale
Operation Transformation Image Name: Operation Transformation Description: OT leaders, experts and Kathryn Thomas
Operation Transformation Image Name: Operation Transformation Description: Chris, Yvonne, Kathryn, Marie, Mairead and Sean, Operation Transformation Series 10

RTÉ

RTÉ Operation Transformation leaders collectively lose almost 10 stone

 

The RTÉ Operation Transformation leaders have lost almost ten stone in two months following the OT food and exercise plan, a fitting end for the show’s tenth series.

 

Chris McElligott, Marie Grace, Maireád Redmond, Seán Daly and Yvonne Keenan-Ross have collectively lost 9 stone 11 pounds since embarking on their Operation Transformation journeys (see breakdown of individual weight loss below).

 

The leaders’ reactions to their success will be revealed on a special double-bill finale airing on Thursday 23 February on RTÉ One at 7pm with a second episode after Fair City at 8.30pm.

 

RTÉ Operation Transformation host Kathyrn Thomas said: “It’s been an amazing eight

weeks for our Operation Transformation leaders: Chris, Marie, Maireád, Seán and Yvonne.  I’m so proud of how far they’ve come. By embracing a healthier way of life they have inspired thousands of people around Ireland to transform their lives. Already the leaders have lost a serious amount of weight but more important is what they’ve gained – a love for exercise and a healthier relationship with food. It would be hard to find five people more inspirational people to be the leaders for the tenth series of OT.”

 

Operation Transformation, sponsored by safefood, marked its 10th birthday this year and, to celebrate, hosted the show’s biggest ever exercise party – 10@10 on Friday 10 February. Thousands of primary school children all over Ireland got involved doing 10 minutes of exercise at 10am on that date, trying everything from dancing to soccer and the free 10@10 video workout. This resource (in English and as Gaeilge) will remain available on rte.ie/ot for teachers to use throughout the year.

 

Again this year, Operation Transformation teamed up with parkrun to encourage people to start running and the Operation Transformation group is now the biggest parkrun group in the world. The Operation Transformation effect has seen attendances quadruple at parkrun 5K events nationwide. There were 10,000 runners pounding the pavements in parks across Ireland this weekend, in addition to the 5,000 who joined our leaders at the OT 5K in the Phoenix Park on Saturday.

 

In its tenth series, Operation Transformation has proved as fit as ever with a consolidated average* of 441,000 people watching the show weekly and a share** of 29 per cent of the available audience. There have been 285,000 total streams of Operation Transformation and Operation Transformation Extras on RTÉ Player to date, with an average of 18,000 streams per episode. The Operation Transformation 10@10 schools compilation has been the most popular of the extras clips. The full series of OT will be available for catch-up viewing on RTÉ Player until the 25 March.

 

RTÉ Radio 1’s The Ray D’Arcy Show has followed the leaders’ highs and lows throughout the series and continued the conversation about the impact of diet and exercise on healthy. Ray D’Arcy will catch up will all five leaders live on his radio show on Thursday afternoon 23 February 3pm to 4.30pm.

 

For the first ever RTÉ Operation Transformation Free Porridge Day on Saturday 28 January, the show teamed up with Irish oat producer Flahavan’s to give away 200,000 packets of oats –enough free oats to make three million servings of porridge. The successful initiative was the brainchild of obesity expert Professor Donal O’Shea who wanted the nation to take a step towards better health by trying a porridge breakfast.

 

Also this year, the show made Operation Transformation history when viewers took part in simultaneous walks in 70 venues countrywide, 20 more locations than in previous years, making it the biggest nationwide walks event ever. And for a third year, Operation Transformation joined up with the Irish Pharmacy Union (IPU) to provide free blood pressure screening in pharmacies nationwide for a week in late January.

 

ENDS

 

Date: Wednesday 22 February 2017

 

 

Notes to Editor:

Leader Weight Loss Numbers:

 

Chris McElligott:

Starting weight:  17st 11.5lbs / 113.2 kg

Final weight: 15st 8.5lbs / 99 kg

Overall weight loss: 2st 3 lbs / 14.2 kg

 

Marie Grace:

Starting weight: 14st 1lbs / 89.1 kg

Final weight: 12st 10lbs / 80.5 kg

Overall weight loss: 1st 5lbs / 8.6 kg

 

Maireád Redmond:

Starting weight: 16st 4.5lbs / 104.4 kg

Final weight: 14st 12lbs / 95 kg

Overall weight loss: 1st 6.5lbs / 9.4 kg

 

Seán Daly:

Starting weight: 24st 3lbs / 154.1 kg

Final weight: 21st 5.5 lbs / 136.2 kg

Overall weight loss: 2st 11.5 lbs / 17.9 kg          

 

Yvonne Keenan Ross

Starting weight: 16st 10lbs / 106.9 kg

Final weight: 14st 11lbs / 96.1 kg

Overall weight loss: 1st 13lbs / 10.8 kg

 

Ratings Source: TAM Ireland Ltd / Nielsen TAM

 

*Average audience – The average number of viewers across a programme or series, expressed in 000s. TV viewing is measured minute-by-minute, so the average audience is the average across all of these minutes. Consolidated data incorporates VCR, DVDR and PVR playback viewing that took place within 7 days of the original broadcast. This time-shifted viewing is added to the live data to produce consolidated viewing data. Consolidated data is available 8 days after the original transmission date. This data is the ‘TAM Gold Standard’ used by the industry to report and trade on.

 

**Share – The percentage of the total audience watching television at the time