Amanda Byram to Host IFTA Gala Television Awards

The Irish Film & Television Academy (IFTA) is delighted to announce that Irish broadcaster Amanda Byram will host the IFTA Gala Television Awards on October 22nd . This inaugural Television Awards Ceremony will take place at the DoubleTree By Hilton Hotel, and will be broadcast on TV3 at 9pm on Sunday 25th October.

Amanda Byram is undoubtedly one of Ireland and the UK’s most experienced and popular TV Presenters with an international repertoire of work credits that have seen her hosting major TV shows across the UK and the US for the past 15 years. Amanda started out her TV career on TV3 in Ireland in 1999 and she soon spread her wings internationally with her Irish style, fun and witty presenting skills making her a very popular choice for international channels including SKY, BBC, Channel 4, ABC Network and ITV.

Amanda’s skill in front of the TV camera (live or as live) has seen her hosting some of the world’s most entertaining and complex TV Shows over the years such as hosting the ‘Miss World Pageant Live from China’, the hugely popular Los Angeles based reality TV shows ‘Paradise Hotel’, ‘The Swan’ and ‘Entertainment Tonight’. UK audiences have also enjoyed Amanda’s presenting charms on popular TV shows such as ABC’s ‘Total Wipeout’ on BBC and Channel 4’s ‘Big Breakfast’, ‘Sunday Brunch’, BBC’s ‘Liquid News’. and also hosting Sky One’s ‘The Angel’ and ‘Don't Stop Me Now’. Amanda also regularly guest-appears on shows such as the ‘The Xtra Factor’, ‘I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here’ and the hugely popular ‘Celebrity Juice’.

Last year Amanda also presented Sky’s Oscars coverage with Alex Zane and she launched her adventure show ‘RV Rampage’ on The Travel Channel to great UK reviews.

Amanda has also gained recognition in the UK for her knowledge and work on the subject of health and fitness and regularly appears as a guest on shows talking about the importance of keeping fit. She is a strong supporter of Breast Cancer awareness and helping women be informed, and she was one of the all-female team of Byram, Denise Van Outen and Fearne Cotton, that trekked to Machu Piccu in the Andes Mountains in Peru, which raised huge awareness for Breast Cancer Care in the UK and was then documented for television audiences on ITV2.

CEO of the Irish Film & Television Academy, Áine Moriarty, welcomed Amanda into her new role saying: “We are delighted to have Amanda host the inaugural IFTA Gala Television Awards Ceremony as she is one of Ireland’s great TV talents and a great ambassador for Ireland internationally. Amanda has attended many IFTA Award Ceremonies over the years and is a huge supporter of the home industry here and the work of the Irish Academy. We look forward to Amanda bringing her unique style and fun to the evening on October 22nd.”

Commenting today on the announcement as the new IFTA host Amanda Byram said: “I am so honoured to be hosting the IFTA Gala TV Awards! Having been a spectator and a supporter of the IFTA’s since day one, this is a dream gig for me! I believe that supporting Irish talent and the industry is of the utmost importance. It is also important to acknowledge, support and reward those who work so hard to make the Irish TV industry what it is.”

The IFTA Gala Television Awards will honour the great work produced by Irish creative talent working in television. The nominees in 23 IFTA Award categories were announced 2nd October and amongst the 2015 shortlist are: Brendan O’Carroll (Mrs Browns Boys), Chris O’Dowd (Moone Boy), Imelda May, Vincent Browne, Baz Ashmawy (50 Ways to Kill your Mammy), Deirdre O’Kane (Moone Boy), plus The Voice of Ireland, Fair City and Red Rock, among many.

The Television Awards are sponsored by Gala Retail in Ireland and this year TV3 will deliver coverage of all the excitement around the Nominees, Guests and Winners from the Ceremony and the Red Carpet in an exclusive Awards Special programme on Sunday 25th October.