Anna Nolan
Encyclopedia
Anna Nolan is an Irish
television presenter, producer and former business manager, waitress and Irish international basketball
player. She has presented numerous television programmes in Ireland and the UK. She is now a recognisable face in Ireland.
One year after leaving the nunnery, Nolan came out
. Her mother asked her if she was gay
one 1992 Saturday night about midnight when 22-year-old Nolan arrived home from her first night out in a gay bar
. Her father was welcoming of her homosexuality, offering to accompany her on nights out if she wished and giving her the following advice, "Anna, never underestimate that there are people out there who hate gays, would like to hurt gay people and will never accept them. You don't have to mix with them, but they will always be there." These words returned to her when she was filming for the BBC in Australia and was accosted by "an Australian right-wing homophobe
living in Melbourne
-- a very damaged character".
Nolan confided to her Big Brother "housemates" that she was forced to come out
as a lesbian
to her parents when her grandma caught Anna and her girlfriend Tania kissing in the park.
reality show Big Brother
. Her life as a lesbian ex-nun was central to the majority of the titillation in the first series in contrast with later series when, said the Irish Independent in 2007, "the freakshow has ratcheted to the point where Nolan would be deemed far too Waltons Mountain
for Big Brother". She was present for a part of reality television history when Craig Phillips
took on evil Nasty Nick
and his manipulative interferences. People ask her: "Are you Anna from Big Brother?" She used to deny this after losing interest but now she embraces her past. She describes her time in Big Brother as follows: "There were moments when I wanted to leave due to boredom, or people irritating me, or missing people at home. Did I enjoy it? It wasn't about enjoying it, it was about getting through it." Prior to entering Big Brother, Nolan thought nobody would watch the show as she had discussed it with two friends and "One of them said, 'Why on earth would anyone want to watch that?' and we changed the subject". In June 2010, RTÉ Ten named Nolan as one of its "Top 10 BB Housemates".
After leaving the Big Brother house, she began working in television, paving the way for future Big Brother housemates who were to do the same, such as Jade Goody
, Chantelle Houghton
and Nikki Grahame
. Nolan worked for the BBC on two series, Anna in Wonderland and Closure
. She also began working for Raidió Teilifís Éireann
(RTÉ). Nolan co-presented The Afternoon Show
on RTÉ One
, along with Bláthnaid Ní Chofaigh
. She spent three years presenting this. She announced in August 2006 that she would not be renewing her contract for the third series. She was replaced with first-season host (who was not present in season 2) Sheana Keane
.
Nolan has stood in for Marian Finucane
on RTÉ Radio
, most memorably during the Kevin Myers
"bastards" controversy in 2005, with the Irish media noting the irony of Nolan being a sister-in-law of Myers.
In August 2006, Nolan was a presenter of the BBC programme Inside Out when the BBC North East and Cumbria
crew filmed Anomalous Phenomena Investigations of Newcastle upon Tyne
, conducting a paranormal investigation at Hurworth Grange Community Centre
in Hurworth-on-Tees
. The show aired on 30 October 2006.
Nolan has been an occasional panelist on RTÉ Two
discussion show The Panel. From 2007 to 2009 she was a reporter for the RTÉ series Would You Believe
. She has cocked a meal on The Restaurant
. She hosted Celebrities Go Wild with Aidan Power
in October 2007. In December 2007, she presented Webs of Desire on RTÉ One, during which she investigated the sexual possibilities of the internet, attended a fetishist
club to discuss bondage discipline sado-masochism (BDSM
) with a male person and interviewed an anonymous man who was accompained by the caption "Individual Addicted to Porn." In August 2010, Nolan featured in Ultimate Big Brother, during which Nikki Grahame
felt her head.
Nolan is now a television producer, and produced in 2011 the television show Operation Transformation
. She also produced reality show Mission Beach for RTÉ. She writes a weekly column for the Evening Herald
newspaper.
, an Emmy Award
-winning producer. Big Brother host Davina McCall
said that Anna Nolan was the only Big Brother housemate she ever befriended and that the two remain friends today. Nolan has also maintained contact with Craig Phillips
and Mel Hill. She was also supportive of Jade Goody
during her cancer battle, and met her a number of times, even though they featured in separate series of Big Brother.
Nolan, who was previously a sister in Dublin's Loreto Order, today considers herself an atheist
. On 10 January 2010, she hosted a special one-off programme for RTÉ One
television entitled O Sister Where Art Thou? during which she attempted to track down and interview women with whom she had shared noviciate life in the order. At the end of the programme, while in conversation with a fellow former novice, she said: "I don't believe in God. I don't think there's a Heaven or Hell. I believe in the human spirit. I think we all make choices. I think we all have fears and for some people, when they get the fears or worries, they turn to a higher power. I just kind of deal with it. And when I go, that's it; I'm gone into the ground and 'goodbye world'. Which isn't depressing; some people might find it depressing. And I might be wrong and that's the good thing because if I'm wrong I'll get into heaven(!)".
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
television presenter, producer and former business manager, waitress and Irish international basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player. She has presented numerous television programmes in Ireland and the UK. She is now a recognisable face in Ireland.
Early life
When she was young Nolan's mother noticed that she always ran away when young males visited and never dated boys. She did eventually date two men. She joined a convent, and has fond memories of her time there: "I loved the nuns and the work they did. They were the coolest group of women". She left after a drunken incident which confirmed for her that "the Catholic church has no place for women really".One year after leaving the nunnery, Nolan came out
Coming out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
. Her mother asked her if she was gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
one 1992 Saturday night about midnight when 22-year-old Nolan arrived home from her first night out in a gay bar
Gay bar
A gay bar is a drinking establishment that caters to an exclusively or predominantly gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender clientele; the term gay is used as a broadly inclusive concept for LGBT and queer communities...
. Her father was welcoming of her homosexuality, offering to accompany her on nights out if she wished and giving her the following advice, "Anna, never underestimate that there are people out there who hate gays, would like to hurt gay people and will never accept them. You don't have to mix with them, but they will always be there." These words returned to her when she was filming for the BBC in Australia and was accosted by "an Australian right-wing homophobe
Homophobia
Homophobia is a term used to refer to a range of negative attitudes and feelings towards lesbian, gay and in some cases bisexual, transgender people and behavior, although these are usually covered under other terms such as biphobia and transphobia. Definitions refer to irrational fear, with the...
living in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
-- a very damaged character".
Nolan confided to her Big Brother "housemates" that she was forced to come out
Coming out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
as a lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
to her parents when her grandma caught Anna and her girlfriend Tania kissing in the park.
Career
Nolan came to prominence in 2000 as the runner up in the first series of the BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
reality show Big Brother
Big Brother (UK)
Big Brother UK is the British version of the Dutch Big Brother television format, which takes its name from the character in George Orwell's 1948 novel Nineteen Eighty-Four...
. Her life as a lesbian ex-nun was central to the majority of the titillation in the first series in contrast with later series when, said the Irish Independent in 2007, "the freakshow has ratcheted to the point where Nolan would be deemed far too Waltons Mountain
The Waltons
The Waltons is an American television series created by Earl Hamner, Jr., based on his book Spencer's Mountain, and a 1963 film of the same name. The show centered on a family growing up in a rural Virginia community during the Great Depression and World War II. The series pilot was a television...
for Big Brother". She was present for a part of reality television history when Craig Phillips
Craig Phillips
Craig Phillips is an English builder, DIY expert, television personality and presenter, best known for winning the first series of the British reality television show Big Brother...
took on evil Nasty Nick
Nasty Nick
Nasty Nick may refer to:*Nick Bateman, a contestant in Big Brother.*Nick Cotton, a character in EastEnders*Nick Griffin MEP, leader of the British National Party...
and his manipulative interferences. People ask her: "Are you Anna from Big Brother?" She used to deny this after losing interest but now she embraces her past. She describes her time in Big Brother as follows: "There were moments when I wanted to leave due to boredom, or people irritating me, or missing people at home. Did I enjoy it? It wasn't about enjoying it, it was about getting through it." Prior to entering Big Brother, Nolan thought nobody would watch the show as she had discussed it with two friends and "One of them said, 'Why on earth would anyone want to watch that?' and we changed the subject". In June 2010, RTÉ Ten named Nolan as one of its "Top 10 BB Housemates".
After leaving the Big Brother house, she began working in television, paving the way for future Big Brother housemates who were to do the same, such as Jade Goody
Jade Goody
Jade Cerisa Lorraine Goody was an English celebrity. She came into the public spotlight while appearing on the third series of the Channel 4 reality TV programme Big Brother in 2002, an appearance which led to her own television programmes and the launch of her own products after her eviction from...
, Chantelle Houghton
Chantelle Houghton
Chantelle Vivien Houghton is an English glamour model and television personality. She was the first 'non-celebrity' to feature in the Channel 4 reality TV show Celebrity Big Brother in 2006....
and Nikki Grahame
Nikki Grahame
Nicola Rachele-Beth Grahame is an English model, columnist and television personality, who rose to fame in the UK when she was chosen to be a housemate on Big Brother 7 in 2006...
. Nolan worked for the BBC on two series, Anna in Wonderland and Closure
Closure
Closure may refer to:* Closure used to seal a bottle, jug, jar, can, or other container** Closure , a stopper* Closure , the process by which an organization ceases operations...
. She also began working for Raidió Teilifís Éireann
Raidió Teilifís Éireann
Raidió Teilifís Éireann is a semi-state company and the public service broadcaster of Ireland. It both produces programmes and broadcasts them on television, radio and the Internet. The radio service began on January 1, 1926, while regular television broadcasts began on December 31, 1961, making...
(RTÉ). Nolan co-presented The Afternoon Show
The Afternoon Show
The Afternoon Show was Raidió Teilifís Éireann's live flagship daytime show. It ran from 2004 until May 2010. The programme was dropped by RTÉ as part of its new season of television in 2010, to be replaced by two afternoon programmes 4 Daily presented by Maura Derrane and The Daily Show hosted by...
on RTÉ One
RTÉ One
RTÉ One is the flagship television channel of Raidió Teilifís Éireann , and it is the most popular and most watched television channel in Ireland. It was launched as Telefís Éireann on 31 December 1961, it was renamed RTÉ Television in 1966, and it was renamed as RTÉ One upon the launch of RTÉ...
, along with Bláthnaid Ní Chofaigh
Bláthnaid Ní Chofaigh
Bláthnaid Ní Chofaigh is an Irish TV presenter, Gaeilgeoir and all-round personality. She has presented Echo Island, The Afternoon Show and Charity ICA Bootcamp. She was a judge in The All Ireland Talent Show and participated in Celebrity Bainisteoir.-Career:Ní Chofaigh is an accomplished...
. She spent three years presenting this. She announced in August 2006 that she would not be renewing her contract for the third series. She was replaced with first-season host (who was not present in season 2) Sheana Keane
Sheana Keane
Sheana Keane is an Irish presenter on Raidió Teilifís Éireann . She presented the programmes Health Squad and The Afternoon Show ....
.
Nolan has stood in for Marian Finucane
Marian Finucane
Marian Finucane is an Irish broadcaster with Raidió Teilifís Éireann . She has worked with the national broadcaster since in 1976, starting as a continuity announcer. She was the first presenter of Liveline...
on RTÉ Radio
RTÉ Radio
RTÉ Radio is a department of Irish national broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann. RTÉ Radio broadcasts four analogue channels and five digital channels....
, most memorably during the Kevin Myers
Kevin Myers
Kevin Myers is an Irish journalist and writer. He writes for the Irish Independent and is a former contributor to The Irish Times, where he wrote the "An Irishman's Diary" opinion column several times weekly...
"bastards" controversy in 2005, with the Irish media noting the irony of Nolan being a sister-in-law of Myers.
In August 2006, Nolan was a presenter of the BBC programme Inside Out when the BBC North East and Cumbria
BBC North East and Cumbria
BBC North East and Cumbria is the BBC English Region covering Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, County Durham, North Yorkshire, Teesside and all but the southern part of Cumbria...
crew filmed Anomalous Phenomena Investigations of Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
, conducting a paranormal investigation at Hurworth Grange Community Centre
Hurworth Grange Community Centre
Built in 1875, Hurworth Grange Community Centre in the village of Hurworth-on-Tees, Durham, England, has had a long and varied history, from private residence of a wealthy Quaker banking family to its modern-day use as a well-loved community centre.- History :...
in Hurworth-on-Tees
Hurworth-on-Tees
Hurworth-on-Tees is a village in the borough of Darlington, within the ceremonial county of County Durham, England. It is situated to the south of Darlington, next to the meeting point of the River Skerne and River Tees.-Amenities:...
. The show aired on 30 October 2006.
Nolan has been an occasional panelist on RTÉ Two
RTÉ Two
RTÉ Two is a free-to-air general entertainment channel operated by Irish state broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann. RTÉ Two is available throughout the island of Ireland through digital terrestrial service Saorview, VHF and UHF bands, and is also available via satellite to Irish subscribers of...
discussion show The Panel. From 2007 to 2009 she was a reporter for the RTÉ series Would You Believe
Would You Believe (TV series)
Would You Believe is an Irish religious television series broadcast on RTÉ One. It currently airs on Sunday nights at 22:40. A new series of 12 films began airing on September 21, 2008.-Archive:- 2009 - 2010 :...
. She has cocked a meal on The Restaurant
The Restaurant (Irish TV series)
The Restaurant is a successful Irish reality television programme broadcast on RTÉ One. The seventh series began on 16 November 2008, running on Sundays at 20:30. In each episode a celebrity head chef takes on the culinary challenge of producing a top class, three-course meal with two...
. She hosted Celebrities Go Wild with Aidan Power
Aidan Power
Aidan Power is an Irish television presenter. He appears from time to time on Raidió Teilifís Éireann .-Career:Power was educated at St. Mac Dara's community college and then Ballyfermot Senior College where he obtained a postgraduate diploma in broadcasting and journalism in 1998...
in October 2007. In December 2007, she presented Webs of Desire on RTÉ One, during which she investigated the sexual possibilities of the internet, attended a fetishist
Fetishism
A fetish is an object believed to have supernatural powers, or in particular, a man-made object that has power over others...
club to discuss bondage discipline sado-masochism (BDSM
BDSM
BDSM is an erotic preference and a form of sexual expression involving the consensual use of restraint, intense sensory stimulation, and fantasy power role-play. The compound acronym BDSM is derived from the terms bondage and discipline , dominance and submission , and sadism and masochism...
) with a male person and interviewed an anonymous man who was accompained by the caption "Individual Addicted to Porn." In August 2010, Nolan featured in Ultimate Big Brother, during which Nikki Grahame
Nikki Grahame
Nicola Rachele-Beth Grahame is an English model, columnist and television personality, who rose to fame in the UK when she was chosen to be a housemate on Big Brother 7 in 2006...
felt her head.
Nolan is now a television producer, and produced in 2011 the television show Operation Transformation
Operation Transformation (TV series)
Operation Transformation is an Irish health and fitness programme. The show is a cross-media event broadcast via radio, web and television on RTÉ 2fm, RTÉ.ie and RTÉ One since 2008...
. She also produced reality show Mission Beach for RTÉ. She writes a weekly column for the Evening Herald
Evening Herald
The Evening Herald is a mid-market tabloid evening newspaper published in Dublin, Ireland by Independent News & Media. It is published Monday-Saturday, and has three editions — City Edition, City Final Edition and National Edition...
newspaper.
Personal life
Nolan is in a very stable relationship with Dearbhla WalshDearbhla Walsh
Dearbhla Walsh is an Irish film and television director who has worked on drama series for several television channels in Ireland and the United Kingdom, including episodes of EastEnders, Shameless and The Tudors. She won the 2009 Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or...
, an Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
-winning producer. Big Brother host Davina McCall
Davina McCall
Davina McCall is an English television presenter and actress, most notable as the presenter of the UK version of Big Brother up until its move to Channel 5.- Early life :...
said that Anna Nolan was the only Big Brother housemate she ever befriended and that the two remain friends today. Nolan has also maintained contact with Craig Phillips
Craig Phillips
Craig Phillips is an English builder, DIY expert, television personality and presenter, best known for winning the first series of the British reality television show Big Brother...
and Mel Hill. She was also supportive of Jade Goody
Jade Goody
Jade Cerisa Lorraine Goody was an English celebrity. She came into the public spotlight while appearing on the third series of the Channel 4 reality TV programme Big Brother in 2002, an appearance which led to her own television programmes and the launch of her own products after her eviction from...
during her cancer battle, and met her a number of times, even though they featured in separate series of Big Brother.
Nolan, who was previously a sister in Dublin's Loreto Order, today considers herself an atheist
Atheism
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
. On 10 January 2010, she hosted a special one-off programme for RTÉ One
RTÉ One
RTÉ One is the flagship television channel of Raidió Teilifís Éireann , and it is the most popular and most watched television channel in Ireland. It was launched as Telefís Éireann on 31 December 1961, it was renamed RTÉ Television in 1966, and it was renamed as RTÉ One upon the launch of RTÉ...
television entitled O Sister Where Art Thou? during which she attempted to track down and interview women with whom she had shared noviciate life in the order. At the end of the programme, while in conversation with a fellow former novice, she said: "I don't believe in God. I don't think there's a Heaven or Hell. I believe in the human spirit. I think we all make choices. I think we all have fears and for some people, when they get the fears or worries, they turn to a higher power. I just kind of deal with it. And when I go, that's it; I'm gone into the ground and 'goodbye world'. Which isn't depressing; some people might find it depressing. And I might be wrong and that's the good thing because if I'm wrong I'll get into heaven(!)".