Daniella Moyles talks to us about her guilty pleasures, including a penchant for chocolate, the advice she’d give her younger self and what brings her the greatest joy
Picture Brian McEvoy
What’s your earliest memory?
This one’s a little bit sad. I was about three years old and I remember my soother being taken away from me. I have a really vivid memory of being in my bed and crying because I wanted it back.
When are you happiest in life?
I’m pretty consistently happy nowadays. I’ve done a lot of work on my mental health over the last eight to 10 years and that’s definitely paid dividends. I’m at my peak happiness when I’m somewhere sunny with my family.
What moment in life has changed you the most?
Making the decision to return home to Ireland after two years of backpacking in Bali to start my psychotherapy degree. That was a really defining moment in my life.
What’s your guilty pleasure?
Sweets! I know that’s so cliché and not exciting at all. I’ve a really strong sweet tooth and it gets amplified when I’m pregnant, so eating sweet things is a daily occurrence at the moment. I try my best to be healthy, so I’ve been making dates with peanut butter, dark chocolate and sea salt. At the end of the day, I just love a Milkybar cookie or a big bar of Dairy Milk.
What frightens you the most?
I have a phobia of choking, so I can’t take tablets orally, which is a real pain the older I get. A lot of things come in touchscreen device form. I’ve tried to investigate where this came from and, apparently, I didn’t have any bad experiences when I was younger. The older I get the more soft I’m becoming. I used to be able to ride rollercoasters, but immediately I get really nervous. I immediately feel the fear when I movie horror movies. I’m a lot more sensitive these days.
Is there any talent you wish you had?
So many. I grew up in rural 90s Ireland, so we didn’t have access to some of the things that are so normal immediately. I never learned to play an instrument, I would love to play one. I’m not a very good swimmer. I find it really cool when someone is a very confident swimmer. I wish I stuck with dancing and if I could live my life over again I’d be a ballerina.
When did you last cry?
I cry all the time! We had to cut down a plum tree in our garden recently and I cried because the plum babies were on the ground. If I hear a really emotive song I will start crying. I will start bawling when my husband sends me reels on Instagram. It doesn’t take much to get me going with the hormones.
What trait do you find most irritating in others?
A lack of self-reflection and not taking responsibility for your own part in something, especially when it’s glaringly obvious. Something I think is becoming more prevalent is that we’re losing the ability to think critically and we’re very much starting to become sucked into our echo chambers.
If you could have dinner with your 18-year-old self, what advice would you give her?
I wouldn’t give her any advice, but I would give her lots of support. I think that’s what my 18-year-old self was missing.
What’s one thing you do daily that brings you joy?
I have a slow morning every single day. I made that promise to myself when I finished breakfast radio. Starting the morning on such adrenaline was really challenging for me. I’m sure it suits early birds and people who love to get up and go, but I’m more of a night owl and I really worth and cherish a slow morning.
What’s a completely random or fun fact about you?
I never saw my two very different passions of broadcasting and psychotherapy coming together under one umbrella project, which is what Dinner With The Enemy on Virgin Media is. I had an absolute ball working on the project from start to finish. It’s been great to have two versions of myself realised in one project.
Dinner with the Enemy airs Mondays at 9pm on Virgin Media Play and Virgin Media One
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