RTÉ viewers left stunned after Tipperary woman's appearance on the Late Late Show
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Marie Clear, who lives in Cashel, has completed the 2023 Operation Transformation Leader family and she is inspiring the nation with her bravery after her first appearance on the programme and on the Late Late Show last Friday night.
Marie, 32 lives with her mother Angela in county Tipperary and works part time as an SNA with children living with disabilities.
She was born with Achondroplasia (a genetic disorder with an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance whose primary feature is dwarfism).
Independence is extremely important to Marie, never to allow anything to get in her way.
Fearful that her health and weight is going in the wrong direction, Marie wants the expert guidance to start to make changes to her movement, exercise and nutrition. A smoker, since she was aged 14, Marie watched keenly as 2022 Leader Stefano Sweetman managed to kick the habit. She would love the expert support to do the same.
RTE Late Late Show viewers said they were “levelled” as Operation Transformation star Marie broke down in tears as she revealed people would take pictures of her because she is a little person.
Host Ryan Tubridy asked how she felt when she watched herself back on the show.
Marie explained: “It was tough. Everybody was saying I was really cool about the whole thing and when I saw myself being revealed on Wednesday gone I got very emotional.
“I’ve always seen myself as an average-height person until I see myself walking down the street in the glass window or someone reminds me that I’m a little person.
“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. It was tough to look at myself.
Also on the Late Late Show she explained how people would record her on nights out and take pictures of her without her consent just because she is a little person.
Marie was emotional as she said: “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 and Snapchat is so quick these days and it’s gone in minutes.
“When I go out to a nightclub, 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 different things. They get a laugh out of that and I am so scared when that happens to me.”
RTE viewers flocked to Twitter to praise Marie for being so brave speaking about the subject.
On why she applied for Operation Transformation, Marie said: “I am looking forward to starting my journey on Operation Transformation 2023 and very thankful for this opportunity. It will bring me where I need to be for the future as my independence is very important to me.”
Operation Transformation airs every Wednesday at 9:30pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.