Causes of stress:
Broadcasting is the ultimate Jack-of-all-trades job, because you have to get involved in all aspects of a programme. It's so much a team effort, and getting on with the team is really important. But there are stresses.
You spend your day sometimes trying to convince people who are reluctant to come on the programme, you're handling press officers and handling critics, be they members of the public or TV and radio critics. One thing that was stressful on Questions & Answers was trying to keep the programme as controversial as possible, but at the same time trying to avoid getting it into any trouble.
The most stressful times were either in the run-up to a general election or a referendum. You are making decisions as to what politicians you bring on, who will win seats and whether the referendum will be passed. People can be quite jealous about airtime at those times, so you have to keep the balance. You have to keep a true line in your own mind and ask: "Am I being fair and honest in terms of the programme?"
Coping with stress:
I suppose one of the great things I find de-stressing is just chatting with the kids and watching fun television programmes with them.
The girls, Katie and Clara, are great for stress and they're great for chatting with. They'll say, "Oh, sit down and watch Big Brother," which I probably wouldn't watch, but I will sit down and watch it with them.
I also love swimming, which I find is a godsend in terms of stress management. We've also just got a dog - she's a Shetland sheepdog - and I enjoy walking her. I think pets are great therapy anyway.
During the working week, I don't find much time for reading, but I try to catch up on my reading at the weekends. There's nothing like a good book or a good film to help you wind down: you can get totally lost.
I love holidays, both in Ireland and abroad. This year, we went to Lissadell, in Sligo. It rained, but you don't stay in Ireland for the weather. A change is as good as a rest.
At the end of last year, Cathal Goan, the director of television, called me in and said he thought it was time for me to try something different. I said that was fine, so long as it was something challenging and different.
So he asked me to do The Late Late Show. I was delighted, because it has a huge audience and a great team working on it, and Pat Kenny is the consummate broadcaster.
I love working in a team, because I think people are what makes the world go round, and you have to get people on your side and working with you, because often people are overworked and overstretched, and you need to ask them to go that extra 100 yards to get things right.
We have a few things planned for the new series, but in the best tradition of the programme I'll say nothing about them.
In conversation with Elaine Edwards