INTERVIEW: Kildare public relations consultant takes a light-hearted look at his life and career

Brian Purcell is a public relations consultant (and animal lover) and has been living in Co Kildare

for the last 20 years. Having moved here because of Dublin property prices at the time he now

couldn’t imagine living anywhere else especially because of his love of horses and racing with three

fantastic racecourses in the county on his doorstep. Brian runs his public relations business, Big

Picture Communications, in Naas and might be known to some previously as the ‘always angry

looking judge’ on the Irish version of hit TV programme ‘The Apprentice’.

LUST: Who or what do you find yourself lusting after today and why?

Always the next horse racing meeting especially in the Curragh.

GREED: What should you be cutting down on (non-food or drink) and why?

Notions....I honestly think I can still ride a horse like a Mongolian hunter, hold the great David Clifford

from Kerry scoreless in a football match, run rings around Ireland’s Peter O’Mahony and Gary Ringrose

in the Aviva Stadium and out sing Coldplay’s Chris Martin! Actually the singing notion could be doable...

GLUTTONY: What one thing could you happily eat or drink until you burst, and why?

My next door neighbour’s chicken casserole! He retired about three years ago and has turned himself into

an unreal cook. I’m his willing guinea pig when he goes at new recipes. His roasts are incredible, his

bacon and cabbage is a world beater but the chicken casserole in that house deserves an Olympic medal!

SLOTH: What should you be putting your back into now and why?

Using my gym membership more diligently, one’s torso could definitely do with some honing. After all,

there’s still an athlete lurking within. One never knows when one’s country could come calling!

WRATH: Who or what makes you angry and why?

Cowardly keyboard warriors and little lying, bullying trolls on social media. Social media companies need

to be taken to task or closed down, their harmful power over society has become dangerous and

disproportionate. Oh and bad Guinness, soggy broccoli, Love Island, outraged Woke types and people that

don’t vote!

ENVY: Who are you jealous of and why?

The planet’s most handsome man Brad Pitt, my mother gets into sweats over him. I’ll never forget when

she turned to me and said “You know Brian you’re not handsome like Brad Pitt, you’re more like rugged!” and then quickly

added “Like Harrison Ford”. I figured I’ll take that but I bet I could beat him in an arm wrestle!

PRIDE: What’s your proudest achievement and why?

I’ve played hurling for Kerry, represented Ireland in showjumping, devised PR campaigns that made a difference to less

fortunate, been mistaken for Jason Statham and a Kilkenny hurler late one night after Galway Races but my proudest

achievement is singing the responsorial psalm at a packed midnight mass at home age 12.....if only Simon Cowell was there!