EDITORIAL: Marie's courage to go on Late Late Show and talk as she did is remarkable

The whole country is rooting for Marie Clear after the incredible bravery she has shown on our TV screens over the last week.

First, on Operation Transformation on Wednesday night as we all watched from the comfort of our couches, Marie was putting herself out there for the whole country to see.

Talking about the most personal of issues in her life and her attitude and determination to overcome adversity and people’s ignorance was just so refreshing.

It is hard to imagine what life must be like for Marie on a daily basis when she has to put up with such bigoted glances and appalling behaviour where she says people even feel they can take photos of her in public because of how she looks.

Marie is living a normal life, or trying to, but it is other ignorant people who are getting in the way of that life.

Her courage then on Friday night to go on the Late Late Show was remarkable. She has the potential to be one of the stand-out contestants on this year’s Operation Transformation.

Here’s what she told Ryan Tubridy on the Late Late Show, and it just sums up Marie’s whole attitude, and also, what she has to put up with:

“I live everyday life as a normal person. I work, I drive, I do everything, I don’t have an adaptive house - nothing. Just do things like everyone, just maybe twice as hard.

“People are so cruel out there. Sometimes they forget I’m actually human as well. I have feelings, I have to live every day as well. So by pointing a phone in my face and taking a picture, Snapchat is so quick these days and it’s gone in minutes. When I go out to a nightclub, I go out with my friends like I said I haven’t been out in Dublin yet. I fear to go out in Dublin and it’s not just Dublin it’s cities. I have been picked up in nightclubs for different things. They get a laugh out of that and I am so scared when that happens to me.”

Best of luck on your Operation Transformation journey, Marie, we’re all behind you!