Erin Molan offers an apology as she takes TV WEEK’s call.
“I’m so sorry about the delay,” the Nine Network TV presenter says. “We were meant to do this last week, weren’t we?”
She’s right – our interview was scheduled for a week ago. But all that was put on hold when Erin collapsed suddenly at work.
It was a terrifying moment for the mum-to-be, who was rushed from the Nine Network studios to hospital.
“I needed an ambulance – it wasn’t pleasant,” the 35-year-old says.
“The issue was low blood pressure combined with an early start. And because your body is pumping so much blood, you can get weak.”
Erin reassures her fans that she and bub are OK.
Tests confirmed mum and bub were healthy, but the incident frightened Erin and her fiancé, Sean Ogilvy.
“I couldn’t have cared less about myself,” she says. “But I was worried I might have hurt my baby when I fell.
“Sean was also really scared – he came straight to the hospital.”
For someone who prides herself on her work ethic, it was a timely reminder to take a pregnant pause.
“I need to accept that my abilities are reduced right now,” she admits.
“I’ve got a baby inside me and I just need to take it a bit slow.”
Erin and fiance, Sean, can’t wait to meet their firstborn.
The presenter’s pregnancy has already thrown up a few curve balls.
“I haven’t been well at all, I’ve been quite sick,” she says.
With the baby due in June, Erin has a juggling act on her hands. She aims to take it slowly, but is also facing the biggest year of her career.
First up, Erin is fronting another season of 20 To One, alongside Dave Thornton.
“It’s nice because it’s so different to everything else I do,” she says. “And I love hearing the celebrities we have on. Plus, Dave is brilliant – he’s really funny.”
20 To One hosts Erin and Dave.
Then, later this year, Erin will step into a role that has been clouded in controversy – as the new host of the NRL Footy Show, replacing popular long-time host Paul “Fatty” Vautin.
“I knew the backlash would come,” she says. “I’m not silly – I’ve worked in TV a long time.
“But I’m more of a fan of Fatty than anyone. I was really upset that there would be changes.”
The rejigged format will see the show cut to an hour and packaged as a post-match wrap-up directly after Nine’s Thursday Night Football.
For Erin, it represents a chance to do what she does best – defy expectations.
“I’ve been under a microscope ever since I joined the show,” Erin sighs. “I’m the first woman to host, and I’m not a football legend who played 300 first-grade games, so I can’t rest on my laurels.
“My reputation will never be enough and I’ve always been acutely aware of that, which is why I work so hard.”
The NRL Footy Show is getting rejigged in 2018.
Having fought her way to the top in a male-dominated TV landscape, Erin has developed an unrivalled work ethic.
“I’ve always been one to work as much as possible,” she says. “My job has been my life.
“And only once I fell pregnant and got engaged did that change.”
While plenty of rest is locked in once the bub arrives, Erin concedes her itch to work means she won’t take too much time off.
“I won’t take long,” she explains. “My schedule allows me to work in chunks, so I’ll do my prep from home and then just go in and do my hours.”
With so many changes ahead, there’s one big event that Erin is happy to push pause on – getting hitched!
Erin and Sean were all set to tie the knot last December. But their baby news saw the wedding put on the backburner.
“We haven’t settled on a new date,” she says. “We’d rather wait a year or two, and then our child can be a part of it too. I’m excited to get married, but the wedding itself, it’s not a big deal.”
