2fm DJ Nikki Hayes made her first public appearance since being attacked in a Temple Bar hotel last April when she attended the PPI Radio Awards in Kilkenny last week.

Wearing a stunning blue jewel-encrusted gown, with plunging neckline, she turned heads at the ceremony at the Lyrath House Estate Hotel.

Nikki (29) told me, "It's the first time I've really been out with industry people since the attack and I was kind of nervous as to how I would be received."

But Hayes needn't have worried, no sooner had she come through the door than she was being embraced by some of radio's biggest names including Ray D'Arcy, Derek Mooney, Colm and Jim Jim, and radio bosses Dave Kelly of FM104 and Chris Doyle of 98fm who bagged the best music station gong.

However, there's no danger of Hayes jumping ship as the Wicklow girl can't speak highly enough of her boss at 2fm, John Clarke.

"The attack left me with a black eye and I was off work for five weeks but I couldn't have had a more understanding boss."

Not everyone in the business was as sympathetic. Speaking to the Sunday Tribune last June, Hayes revealed how so-called friends deserted her after the attack.

"I suppose you have to go through bad things in life to realise who your real friends are." Hang on! That sounds very like what Gerry Ryan said last weekend about so-called friends deserting him after his marriage break-up.

Asked about the similarity between her comments and Ryan's, Hayes would only say, "Gerry is more in touch with reality than people give him credit for. He's a gentleman and another person who was supportive of me this year."