Courtney backs 'Rails' snub

Off The Rails presenter Brendan Courtney has defended a decision by RTE to award a contract worth several hundred thousand euros to a UK company to produce a fashion show in the RDS next month.

London fashion house The Doll, who previously produced the Clothes Show Live in the UK, have been given the contract by RTE to produce a catwalk show as part of Off The Rails-The Total Experience in the RDS from 18-20 November.

Courtney (37) told The Diary: "Like all RTE projects it was put out to tender. A number of companies pitched for it. The Doll are world standard. There is no-one here doing what they do. We don't have a product­ion company that does that here. Hopefully we will have next year after they set the standard."

However news of the awarding of the contract to the London based company has been greeted with dismay by Irish stylist Catherine Condell, who produced the Off The Rails live event at the RDS in 2003, 2006, 2007 and 2008.

She told The Diary: "All my crew are disappointed. We actually loved the gig because we made it our own. We were really proud, everybody from the models to all my assistants. It was hard, hard work but once it was up and running, it was really great. We took great pride in it. I just feel for the professional people in Ireland who could and should be working on it."

Condell, over 30 years in the fashion business, 20 of those working for Brown Thomas as a producer and stylist, says she believes Irish producers would have been up to the job.

"We produced the Supermodels Show in The Point in 1996, 2000 and 2003 with people like Naomi Campbell and Christy Turlington so I think are standards are petty high."

RTE declined to comment, saying only "There are commercial sensitivities surrounding your query. RTÉ does not comment on contract negotiations or the tender process."

Grainne amused by talk of 'under utilising'

TV presenter Grainne Seoige has laughed off comments from her former employers TV3 that she is "under utilised" by her new bosses in RTE.

"Under utilised? I think that's hilarious given that this was said last month as TV3 launched their new season and I left that station five years ago. On RTE I was presenting The People In Need Awards last night, The All Ireland Talent Show, and Up For The Match. I wouldn't say that's RTE under utilising me."

Off that list of telly duties is The Seoige Show which Grainne presented up till last season with sister Síle.

A fluent Irish speaker Grainne (34) was amused last week that one news­paper had complained of her saying what sounded like 'céad fáilte" instead of "céad míle fáilte" on trailers for The All Ireland Talent Show, joking that RTE was now so skint it was rationing its welcomes.

"What I actually said was "Bhfur gcéad fáilte " which means you are all very welcome. Instead of "céad mile fáilte" which means 100,000 welcomes.

It's the same expression but if you're not listening properly, it would go by you very quickly. I'm happy to correct (their) mistake. Irish is my first language," said Grainne.

Joe stays upbeat about burgers

Jo'Burger is not done yet. That's the message from Joe Macken, owner of trendy eatery Jo'Burger which went into examinership last week.

How different it was last November when Jo'Burger caused a sensation when they were awarded Restaurant Of The Year by The Dubliner.

If Wednesday night is anything to go by in their remaining Rathmines outlet, the grill, frequented by VIPs including Colin Farrell, looks set to survive.

"We have great supporters like The Leinster Rugby team. Big boys that need a big feed. Right now we're staying positive," says Macken.

Scene and Heard

* Former Mint man Dylan McGrath thinks it could be "years" before there's enough demand to sustain the high end business he once welcomed at his defunct Ranelagh eatery.

"If that kind of cooking returns, it's going to be a couple of years. Before as a restaurant we would have been in a certain bracket but now with the recession, you have to have a broad appeal."

"I would love to do something that was more accessible and still cheap but it's not the time to be building from scratch," he said.

* Filing for divorce from his estranged wife at aged 83 last week Playboy founder Hugh Hefner found a shoulder to cry on. Our own Gerry Ryan.

The RTE man was at the Playboy Mansion in the US to film a forthcoming edition of TV show Ryan Confidential, Gerry met the magazine king in a deeply reflective mood.

Joked Gerry: "It was the perfect time to interview Hef. The girls have left him. I think he's down to five girls now."