Jennifer Zamparelli has said that a bruising review just a week into her new 2fm show was a blessing in disguise.

The presenter (39) took to the airwaves on her new mid-morning programme earlier this month – and received a decidedly caustic response after her first day in the job.

“It’s the best thing that ever happened to me in a way,” she said.

“I don’t really pay much attention to critics but I do pay attention to listeners.”

She said of the scathing review: “If that was an Irish woman aged 25-40 then I’d be worried because that’s who I want listening to the show. But it wasn’t.

“Unlike TV, where it’s pretty instant, radio takes time to build up a show.”

The Dancing With The Stars presenter has told how she and her actor husband Lau juggle their careers, along with bringing up two small children.

She said the first thing was to accept you “can’t do everything”.

“That’s my big advice – so you just need to learn to be better at managing your time. You don’t have to answer your phone all the time.

“Me and Lau have this rule that when the kids are in the house we put our phones away because we don’t want them looking at us being on our phones.

“There’s plenty of time at the end of the day to do that.

“Doing a talk show, you can be so consumed with the latest news – but it’s all going to be there when they’re in bed.”

Mum to Florence (4) and Enzo (1), she said she tried to practise self-care and take some time out for herself and her husband.

“For me, I’m very good at switching off.

“Going to the gym is a big one for me and spending time with my husband, because that’s a relationship in the household you need to nurture daily.

“It can become all about the kids and you can get on a slippery slope where you just forget about each other.

“So every evening we make a point of sitting in the garden and just chat and reconnect because we’re like two ships in the night otherwise.”

She started her new mid-morning slot earlier this month on 2fm and described it as a real learning curve.

“I’m getting more comfortable every day but I’m finding out so much about the people of Ireland and what they’re into. Oh my God, it is an eye-opener.

“We had a sex therapist on and she was talking about fetishes and what people are into.

“We were talking about the legalisation of marijuana and I was very much on the side of where I think it should be legalised.

“Then we had this reporter go off and do a report and it totally changed my mind so I’m learning a lot and it’s good.”

She also said she was hopeful that DWTS would come back for a fourth run as she loved it so much.

“I would love it to come back. I’m just getting warmed up, even if they don’t want me.

“I’ll be that ex-contestant in the audience, that will be me,” she said.

Jennifer was speaking yesterday at the launch of WaterWipes’ new facial wipes at Dublin’s Marker Hotel.

Read more: Darragh McManus: It’s 2 hard 2 tell if new 2fm schedule is an improvement

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