Newstalk Weekend

A number of celebrities in recent days have been open about their mental health difficulties and the toll that online toxicity can take. From Ryan Tubridy saying it’s hard to leave the house these days; Huw Edwards’s wife outlining that he has what she’s called ‘serious mental health issues’ including ‘severe depression’,' to footballer Dele Alli revealing he turns to sleeping pills, the fragility of mental health can’t be underestimated. Joining Tommy Bowe to discuss this is Brent Pope, presenter and mental health advocate; Keith Walsh, writer and broadcaster; and Dr Stephanie Regan, Clinical Psychotherapist.

Joining Tommy Bowe for this week's installment of Ask The Expert is Sonia McEntee, Principal Solicitor at Sonia McEntee Solicitors and chair of the Law Society PR Committee.

There is a feast of sport to look forward to over the course of the weekend and beyond with Wimbledon coming to a close, the All-Ireland Men’s Senior Football Semi-Finals, the Tailteann Cup Final, and not to mention the beginning of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup kicking off on Wednesday. To preview all of this Tommy Bowe is joined by former Irish tennis pro, Conor Niland; Off The Ball’s Aisling O’Reilly; and Former Republic of Ireland international, Karen Duggan.

Joining Tommy Bowe to run through some of the top stories from the Saturday papers is Claire Brock, news presenter with Virgin Media Television & Fergus Finlay, columnist with the Irish Examiner.

Twenty years after Mickey-Joe Harte performed 'We’ve Got The World' at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2003, his iconic hit has now received a modern update - ‘As Gaeilge’! Tommy Bowe is joined by Mickey-Joe Harte to talk about the process of making it as well as Cathal Minogue who performed the song as part of a challenge from his friends and colleagues on the Dermot and Dave show on Today FM.

Twitter is now worth only $15 billion. That’s nearly a third of the $44 billion that Elon Musk paid for the platform back in 2022. Declining in popularity among its users, at what point did things go really wrong for Twitter? And now with the arrival of rival social media app Threads, masterminded by his cage-fighting nemesis Mark Zuckerberg, could this be the final straw? Anton is joined by Matt Navarra, Social Media Consultant and Industry Analyst.

RTÉ has long been regarded as a trusted source of news, information, and entertainment for the Irish people. However, recent revelations regarding non-disclosure of payments have raised questions about transparency and accountability within the organisation. What does it mean for RTÉ to be a public service broadcaster in these times? How can it maintain the public's trust and fulfil its duty to provide accurate and impartial information? Anton is joined by Lord David Puttnam, former member of the House of Lords; from 2006 to 2012, he was Deputy Chairman of Channel 4 Television and more recently, chaired an enquiry on the future of Public Service Broadcasting in the UK.

Joining Anton to answer all your veterinary questions is Pete the Vet!

Not sure which country to visit next? Well maybe the Global Peace Index could help you make that decision. They have just released a list of the most dangerous and safest countries in the world, and joining Anton to delve into that list is Joan Scales, travel journalist and broadcaster.

Joining Anton to go through the top stories hitting the headlines is Hugh O’Connell, Deputy Political Editor of the Irish Independent, and Stefanie Preissner, Writer and Broadcaster.