Grainne Seoige’s marriage life with husband as star forced to change herself

Galway woman Gráinne Seoige was challenged to rebuild and reconstruct herself when she moved to South Africa with her now husband Leon Jordaan.

Swapping Ireland to move to the other side of the world was a huge learning experience for the broadcaster and businesswoman and it allowed her to move away from any preconceived perceptions of her.

Gráinne told Galway Beo’s sister site RSVPLive: “Meeting him [Leon] and moving to the other side of the world and living in a different culture was a huge learning experience.”

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“In Europe, we have up until this point anyway, lived quite a safe life. Our life is sophisticated and we take a lot for granted; we take peace for granted.

“We can shut our doors and be fairly confident we’ll be okay but South Africa taught me a different way of living and it challenged me, away from where there may have been preconceived perceptions of me, to rebuild and reconstruct myself.”

That reconstruction and rebuild of herself was very interesting, but refreshing for Gráinne – and she has moved on with her life.

She told VIP Magazine: “It was, but it was also really challenging because I had to find myself and that was hugely impactful. I’m also not as connected now to that old image of me as I might have been before.

“So, I take things now, like doing a stint on The Six O’Clock Show, as fun and as a bit of a gift, but I’m not defining myself by it anymore.”

Gráinne would never rule out a return back to South Africa down the line, and she doesn’t know where she will be in 25 years time.

She said: “I could be living back in South Africa. I could be in Galway, a doting granny with several grandkids!

“I could still be on TV, Who knows? I might do a podcast like my sister “Sile who has taught me so much.”

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