Stay updated with the latest beauty tips, trends, and news from our salon experts. Our blog is your go-to source for all things beauty.
Looking back on her incredible year, TV presenter Katja Mia talks to Janice Butler about her upcoming Burundian engagement party, working on her mental and physical well-being and learning to love herself.
2024 was a massive year for TV presenter Katja Mia. She was declared one to watch, following her new presenting role on Virgin Media's Six O’Clock Show and her impressive performance on Dancing With The Stars. She became a household name and endeared herself to the Irish viewing public. Not long before this, the Dubliner was in a job that didn’t inspire her, questioning her life choices and wondering what the future held. It’s amazing what can happen in a year.
Sitting in a trendy hotel in Dublin city centre, Katja has just finished our cover shoot. It’s no surprise she’s a natural in front of the camera and her up-beat, no-nonsense personality is as real in person as on screen. Photos taken, she gets out of her glam styling and we sit down for a chat.
"I think 2024 was the best year of my life," she says, glowing. "I really took time over Christmas to sit and reflect on it all. It was the first time I had slowed down," she laughs. "I love a bit of journaling, practicing gratitude and I was able to sum it up during that break over Christmas. And I can say that because I’ve had years that were not so good and years where I was super low and very confused over what I wanted to do with my life.
We need your consent to load this Instagram contentWe use Instagram to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
"2024 was magical and while I didn’t stop or take a break, that was necessary, the wave was going and I had to ride it and embrace the madness. It was a year of a lot of work, a lot of networking and trying things that scared me, but you have to do those things to grow," she adds.
Dancing With The Stars is back in full sequinned flow at the moment and reflecting on her time on the show, in which she made the quarter finals, Katja admits that the grueling schedule took a toll, as she had to fit it alongside her full-time job.
"I did really enjoy it but looking back now, it was mentally tough. I had just started The Six O’Clock Show and when the conversation came up initially about Dancing With The Stars, I was still on Weekend AM, so I thought, that’s fine, I’ll have loads of time. I wanted to be present for both gigs so in hindsight, I probably had bitten off more than I could chew. It was definitely one of the toughest challenges I’ve ever taken on and it really made me respect the dancers and everyone working on the show behind the scenes," she adds.
"I’m only watching back the videos of my dances now, I couldn’t watch them for a year. It’s different watching them back after that time because I feel really proud now of what I achieved, whereas in the moment, all you can do is criticise and think what could I have done better," she adds.
A life in showbiz was always the ultimate dream for Katja, who is from Blanchardstown in Dublin. Her route into the business wasn’t a clear one. She was working in finance but when Covid hit, she realised it wasn’t for her. Having dabbled in being an influencer, she decided to focus completely on social media and modelling.
The gamble paid off and after a few short years of sharing her life and content on social media, she was spotted by TV producers and life took an unexpected turn. She got her big break after she entered a competition for ambassadors and presenters for Love Island’s Maya Jama’s skincare masks, MIJ.
From there, Virgin Media took notice and asked her to do a screen test. She became a regular reporter and fill in presenter on Ireland AM, until she was offered the co-hosting role on The Six O’Clock Show with Brian Dowling, taking over from Karen Koster and Greg O’Shea.
"Those early Covid years were tough. They were tough on everyone but I was really questioning the choices I had made and my happiness," she reflects.
"I remember the day I quit my job and I went to my Mam and Dad and told them this is what I want to do. They were so supportive and understanding; they gave me that time to be able to think and re-examine what I wanted to do."
We need your consent to load this Instagram contentWe use Instagram to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
While Katja is now living her dream, she admits that a career on screen comes with its challenges, one being the scrutiny she faces over her appearance and those dreaded social media comments.
"The hardest part of it is being perceived in a certain way and I get quite self-conscious about myself being on screen and how I look," she says. "I know it shouldn’t be the first thing I think about, but sometimes you’re worried about your image. As a woman, it’s just something that’s there all the time.
"You get comments on how you look and that’s something you have to learn to live with because you’re putting yourself out there and people feel they can comment and judge you on how you look and your weight. That’s the only annoying part of the gig, but I try to take it in my stride," she explains.
At almost 29, Katja says that she "loves ageing", due to the wisdom it brings. "I love getting older. I learn more with each year. I feel like I cringe less as I get older," she laughs. "You’re a bit more sure of yourself and I like that with each year that passes, you care less about what people think."
Last year, Katja was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and endometriosis, which can be a cripplingly painful condition. With this in mind, she says she’s been investing more time in her well-being; both for the mind and body, in a bid to create a better relationship with herself.
"We grew up on diet culture and it messes you up so much," she says. "I did all the fad diets there was; I definitely had disorderly eating as a teenager and it really messes up your perception of what healthy eating and a healthy body is. My weight fluctuated my whole life from the age of 12.
"I have curves naturally, but I rejected that completely when I was younger. You wanted to be a size zero and that was glorified. It’s only now that I’m allowing myself to appreciate my figure and my curves," she reveals.
"My condition makes losing weight a lot harder and it was already a battle for me. But I’ve had to look at it a different way and start fixing myself from the inside out and to stop worrying about the yo-yo dieting. With each day, I’m trying to care about it less. The majority of women go through this, so it’s important to talk about it.
"I’m feeling really good. I’ve found a trainer, I researched anti-inflammatory diets to see what I should be eating and reducing stress. I’m taking a more holistic approach because I want to just feel better and stop wasting years where I care about how I look. I just want to start enjoying my body and my life," she adds with determination.
2024 was not only a big one for Katja professionally, but personally too, with her engagement last summer to long-term boyfriend Daragh Curran, who some people might know better as the Guinness Guru. The couple first met on Tinder and have been together for seven years.
Katja credits Darragh as one of her biggest supporters and her best friend. "We’ve been through so many life steps together, so he became my person and I became his. We’ve experienced life together and he’s in a similar profession to mine, so he understands the positives and negatives that come with that. It's so nice to be with someone that gets you 100%."
The wedding is pencilled in for 2026, but she won’t share many more details than that. "We’re only in the early stages of the planning but it’s really exciting. It’s the biggest party you’ll ever have in your life. We’re really enjoying the planning stages and having the conversations with everyone. We’re just really excited to get married. We’ve been together so long so it feels like the natural thing to do."
We need your consent to load this Instagram contentWe use Instagram to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
One thing she does expand on is their upcoming engagement party, which will be taking place this summer in the east African country of Burundi, where her parents are originally from. The family fled conflict there in 1997; Katja was born in Germany, before they settled in Ireland.
She’s excited to go back to Burundi with Daragh, to experience that side of her culture with him and her extended family. "In Burundi, the engagement party is a bigger deal than the wedding, it’s called a Dot and it’s a big deal. It’s a really important part of our culture and heritage," she explains.
"I haven't been back there in ten years, so I can’t wait to see family and really get immersed in my culture and show Daragh that. as he’s never been there."
She admits that growing up in Ireland, she often had times when she felt confused about her identity, and having it questioned by others. "You grow up quite confused, especially as a Black-Irish person, because you identify as Irish but then your skin will always say otherwise. People are constantly questioning you: it happens all the time. They will say 'Where are you from?’ and you say Ireland and they’ll reply, ‘No, really, where are you from?’
"For yourself and for your soul, not to prove anything to anyone else, it’s important to have a great sense of self and culture. I’ve always sought to have a great balance in my Irishness but also my Burundian heritage and culture as well. It’s so important to me."
We need your consent to load this Instagram contentWe use Instagram to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. Please review their details and accept them to load the content.Manage Preferences
Katja is proud of her parents’ bravery, moving to Ireland and setting up a life for their children, to give them better opportunities. "My Mam worked so hard: I don’t know how she moved to another country, with kids, not speaking the language. I feel like there’s a strength in that generation that I wouldn’t have," she says.
The Six O’Clock Show is celebrating ten years this year and in that time it’s seen a few shake-ups (it used to be The 7 O’Clock Show) and different presenters, starting with Lucy Kennedy and Martin King. While Katja and Brian have been hosting just over a year, their infectious energy has certainly made a mark and she’s excited for what’s to come.
"It’s great that we can continue on its legacy. It started with Martin and Lucy, and we feel we need to do it justice since it has been going so long. We want to keep it fresh and put our own twist on it. I feel we’ve done a great job, but we can always do more."
While she is open about being on a path of self-discovery and healing, there’s a sense of contentment and resilience to Katja. While she says she isn’t setting her sights on opportunities across the water, there’s no doubt that her star is going to continue to rise.
"At the moment, I feel like it’s such an exciting time in Ireland for TV and production. This country has so much talent, there’s so much more for me to experience here. I don’t really have my sights set on anything else at the moment," she concludes. "I love Ireland. I see myself raising a family here, working here, it’s really home to me."
