Who is Kathryn Thomas? Family life of RTE star from Operation Transformation to 'sex texts from odd men'

Kathryn Thomas is a television presenter and radio presenter from Carlow, and is best known for her work on many RTÉ programme such as Operation Transformation, Winning Streak, and The Voice of Ireland.

 Kathryn grew up in County Carlow, with her three siblings, Linda, David, and Stephen. She attended St Leo's College Carlow before leaving in second year to attend The King's Hospital in Dublin. She went on to study arts in University College Dublin, she left before finishing the course as she had her first opportunity in the media.

Her TV break came in the form of a sports TV show called Rapid. She hosted the show with co-host former Dublin footballer Jason 'Jayo' Sherlock. 

She went on to work on a travel show for the RTÉ titled No Frontiers. No Frontiers ran on the RTÉ for 13 years and was a big hit for the network with Kathryn at the forefront of it. The show focused on exploring different global travel destinations, showing the the viewers different cultures, attractions, and experiences all over the world.

Following the end of 'No frontiers' in 2009, Kathryn then went on to co-host popular RTÉ gameshow Winning Streak with Marty Whelan till 2011. She revealed during this time on the gameshow that she would receive letters from "very odd men". She told Evoke.ie: "Weird. Just very weird stuff. Clearly, they had been watching you on TV and then would write a letter every week." She said, the correspondence covered everything from her breasts to her legs to what she was wearing.

She went on to talk about how the letters were targeted her and used graphic and foul language, "It was mostly sexual, how f**king dare you wear a skirt that short? It was misogynistic. They would say "You have it coming to you" and for a time, it was reoccurring.'

In 2011 she went on to host two of the most popular television programmes in Ireland, Operation Transformation and The Voice Of Ireland. Both of these programmes were huge successes for the RTÉ.

Operation Transformation being the health and fitness show that saw contestants over a seven week period attempt to lose weight on the programme with it culminating into a series finale where the contestants showed off their new physique. Kathryn was front and centre of the programme after she took over from the late Gerry Ryan following his passing. She held that mantle of host until earlier in 2024 when the show was axed from RTÉ.

After the announcement that the show was ending Kathryn took to her social media to write a statement about her time on the show:

"Every start line has a finishing line and all good things must come to an end….. there have been a lot of laughs, tears and what’s app group messages reminiscing with the RTE Operation Transformation gang over the past few weeks. It’s been one hell of a journey!!! There isn’t a parish or petrol station in Ireland we have not visited.

What an incredible privilege it’s been to be a part of RTE Operation Transformation for the past 14 years (taking over from the OG OT host himself MrG Ryan changed my life) and I am so so proud of everything we have achieved and of the legacy RTE Operation Transformation is leaving behind.

To be able to shine a national spotlight on the importance of looking after our health through our amazing, amazing leaders, ordinary people living ordinary lives, who opened up their hearts and homes in the most extraordinary ways. Every single one of you inspired me. As I always said at the end of every series … “a pack of absolute feckin’legends!!!” There are not enough words that could explain how many people you have individually and collectively helped and inspired"

"Thank you to RTE for trusting me at the helm for all these years and I look forward to the exciting new projects ahead in 2025.

But this evening I’m raising a glass to every single leader who ever appeared on the show. We will be forever grateful to you and your families for your honesty, vulnerability courage and strength."

Kathryn got married to businessman Padraig McLoughlin in 2019.

A year earlier in 2018, the pair welcome their first child into the world, Ellie. Talking to the Irish Examiner about her child Ellie she said: "Ellie is very headstrong, she’s like her mother. It was 32 degrees in the car, and she insisted on wearing woolly gloves to her childminder’s because she thought that her hands would get cold, and I just went with it. I just love the way kids are so much themselves. I hope that never changes."

They then announced that they were having their second child in 2021, Grace. And Kathryn told Evoke how well Ellie was taking the big sister role: " [Ellie's] just kind of taken to this role [of a big sister], she's become this little girl very quickly. My baby is gone because she kind of mothers Grace as well."

"She'd be feeding her, helping her into her pyjamas, into her car seat or onto the trampoline. Every time I turn around, Grace is just being carted somewhere. They've got a lovely relationship, so it's great."

Carlow woman Kathryn Thomas has been a mainstay on Irish television for years and I'm sure she will continue to be for many years to come.