X Factor: Tesco Mary

March 2011

WE have been on tour for a few weeks already and I’ve been hanging out mostly with Katie, Rebecca and Cher. It tends to be a little quieter in our dressing room. We chill out and get our make-up done. The boys you can hear screaming and shouting but they always end up in our dressing rooms. We never really get away from them.

We’ve not had much of a chance to look around the cities where we’re playing. It’s been about doing interviews then straight to the venue.

Home is Dublin which I share with my daughter, Deborah, and I miss her terrible.

She’s 24 and she’s very proud of me. But her attitude is that “when you’re out there you’re a singer, when you’re at home you’re me mammy”. So I don’t talk about the singing.

She listens to rap, so she’s down with the kids, as they say, but she loves old music as well. Westlife is her big love.

I’d listen to @Westlife@ as well but mostly @Frank Sinatra, Shirley Bassey, Jim Reeves@ and @Tom Jones@ (below). His songs get me going.

When I’m having a weekend at home I’d get up on Saturday morning early and start cleaning the house. When that’s all done I’d watch a couple of old movies. They’d be thrillers or musicals or comedies, like the @Marx Brothers@ and @Abbott and Costello.@ The old films had a lot more feeling. It was more about the story rather than the special effects. I love @Bette Davis@ (above right).

If I wasn’t going out for a few bevvies with my friends on a Saturday night, I’d be at home with Deborah. We’d have popcorn watching the telly, then put on a movie. But she’d want to watch @Never Been Kissed, @that type of movie. A chick flick. Or a comedy movie with @Eddie Murphy.@ That would be it, pigging out in front of a movie and enjoying it.

On Sunday, my sister would pick me up and we’d go for dinner with my family. Then we’d go back to my niece’s house, probably have one or two drinks, then home just to relax.

That’s if I wasn’t out with my friends the night before. That would be a very different Sunday. If we’d been out and had a drink and a sing-song, then I’d die on Sunday. So it’d be a dying Sunday rather than a relaxing Sunday.

You know what, I’m a boring cow.

I do go to the theatre but usually to see my brother because he does a bit of cabaret. So I’ll watch him or I might even get up and do a bit of cabaret with him.

I do love to see great productions at the theatre. I love plays so if I did get the opportunity to go and see one I’d go. If I didn’t I’d probably just sit around and drink. I’m probably an alcoholic and I didn’t know it.

I love going to the movies but I haven’t had a chance lately. There are loads I’d like to see, like @Black Swan @and @The King’s Speech. @But I’ve been too busy working. But I’m not complaining.

Apart from Tom Jones coming round, my perfect weekend would mean hopping on a plane on a Friday and going to Spain. I love the sunshine when I can get it. It’s good for the old bones, especially when you reach this age.

We share the cooking at home. I’ll do the plain stuff, while she would experiment. But she eats all healthy meals. It does get on my nerves sometimes because I like my bangers and mash and beans. I’m allowed to have that at least once a month.

On tour the catering is very good. Everything is steamed or grilled and it’s lovely. There’s plenty of fruit there.

I’ve never been to Nottingham before so I’m looking forward to that. I love the name of it. I love the name Nottingham, I think it’s lovely. I won’t get a chance to look around it this time but I’ll come back. Hopefully on my own tour.

My album is coming out at the end of the month which is exciting. Well, it’s exciting for me, it’s not exciting for you at all. And I’m kind of proud of it. I never dreamed it would happen, so it’s a wonderful feeling. The only song from the album that I’m singing on the X Factor tour is It’s A Man’s World but I will eventually be singing the others on television to promote the album. And it’s in the pipeline that I’ll be doing my own tour.

All good things come to those who wait. As I have proved.

Mary Byrne appears on the X Factor 2011 tour which comes to the Capital FM Arena on Tuesday and Wednesday, 7.30pm. Tickets are £32.50, call 08444 124624. Her debut album, Mine & Yours, is released on March 28.