MAJELLA O’DONNELL REVEALS AGONY OF FIRST MARRIAGE BREAKDOWN IN EMOTIONAL INTERVIEW
Majella O’Donnell, wife of Irish country star Daniel O’Donnell, has spoken candidly about the most traumatic period of her life — the breakdown of her first marriage. Appearing on Brendan O’Connor’s Time Out on RTÉ One, Majella opened up with striking honesty about the pain, confusion, and despair she endured, describing it as the darkest chapter she has ever faced.
“Nothing — and still to this day — nothing will affect me as much as my marriage breakdown,” the 58-year-old revealed. “I will never ever feel as bad and as low and as confused and as desperate as I did.”
Her words highlighted the profound emotional toll of that experience, one that shaped how she approached her later marriage to Daniel O’Donnell. Reflecting on their wedding in November 2001, Majella explained why she remained calm despite the fact that only 50 of the 500 guests were from her side. “I knew that once the wedding was over and all those people were gone away, it was just going to be the two of us at home anyway,” she said. “I suppose if I had been younger, I may not have been able to cope with it, but I was 42.”
Majella and Daniel first met in Tenerife in 1998, and their love story has since become one of the most admired in Irish showbusiness. But Majella’s life journey has also been marked by struggles beyond her first marriage. She has faced breast cancer, undergoing treatment with courage and openness. In 2013, she received an outpouring of support after appearing on The Late Late Show, where she famously had her hair shaved on live television to raise funds for the Irish Cancer Society.
Her resilience, however, is rooted in the lessons she learned during her lowest points. By sharing her story, Majella has offered hope to others who may be navigating personal crises of their own. “I will never feel as low as I did then,” she admitted, but her survival and recovery underscore her strength.
The new RTÉ One series Brendan O’Connor’s Time Out aims to capture these kinds of deeply personal reflections. Through intimate one-to-one interviews, O’Connor explores the pivotal moments that have defined the lives of public figures. Alongside Majella O’Donnell, the three-part series will also feature Irish writer Michael Harding and legendary Chic frontman Nile Rodgers.
For Majella, the interview was not just about revisiting painful memories, but about affirming the life she has built since. Today, she shares her life with Daniel, enjoys her role as mother to her two children, Siobhan and Michael, from her first marriage, and continues to inspire fans with her openness and authenticity.
Her frankness about her struggles — from heartbreak to illness — has long resonated with the public. In speaking out about the breakdown of her first marriage, Majella once again reminded viewers that behind fame and music, there are stories of real human suffering, resilience, and renewal.