It is one of the most popular shows on RTE – and a Laois family is set to appear on it for a second time this weekend.
Ireland’s Fittest Family returned to our TV screens over the last two weekends.
The third episode will air on Sunday night at 6.30pm and the Gallagher family are back.
From Portarlington, they were on Donncha O’Callaghan’s team last year but went out in Round 1.
They have a new coach in former Irish Olympian Sonia O’Sullivan and are hoping for better this time.
They will be up against Nina’s Murphy family from Carlow, Davy’s Farrell family from Louth and Donncha’s McCarthy family from Cork.
The team comprises of dad Ed Gallagher, son Gavin plus daughters Kayleigh and Lauryn.
The latter is on board after her brother Jamie took part last season.
Dad Ed is a real all-rounder as while also being a firefighter and a carpenter, he works as a personal trainer at Burn Gym Fitness in Portarlington.
Before the Gallaghers, Laois had representatives three times over the previous series’ – and on each occasion they have gone right to the final show.
Both the Mulhares from Clonad and the McDonalds from Ballyroan were runners-up in Series 2 and 6, respectively.
While in 2019, the amazing Maher family from Killeshin made it all the way to the final too, eventually finishing in fourth place.
Ireland’s Fittest Family has proven to be a huge ratings winner for RTE over the past ten years.
The show’s enduring popularity is down to a number of factors – how TV friendly it is, how genuinely competitive it is, the sheer excitement of it and then awe at how difficult some of the challenges are.
But one of its biggest draws is the raw emotion as family members battle their way through and then are interviewed afterwards, exhausted and just so proud.
Over the course of the series so many great characters emerge – from the contenders themselves to the coaches.
The latest series continues on RTE One at 6.30pm on Sunday. Best of luck to the Gallaghers!
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