‘Gypsy life doesn’t revolve around big, fat weddings’

‘Gypsy life doesn’t revolve around big, fat weddings’

Cork girl Roisin Mullins, 28, who featured in the Sky series with friend Jentina Chapman, wants to reveal her community’s real customs and beliefs.

And the opinionated pair are now returning for a second season of the hit programme â€" in which they are searching for the perfect person to represent their way of life.

The girls are currently on tour across the country to find the Gypsy and Traveller Face of the Year, the winner of which will appear on the show to showcase the talents of their community.

And Roisin, who is an Irish Romany gypsy from Castletownroche, told how they hope the series shows that being a Traveller isn’t just about having glitzy wedding bashes, as seen in rival series Big Fat Gypsy Weddings.

She said: “Big Fat Gypsy Weddings is massively popular but it’s a wedding show and very extravagant.

“Ours is about Travelling life, our people telling their stories and the issues that affect them. It’s about real life.”

Many Travellers don’t like how the blinging Big Fat Gypsy Weddings series â€" which shows some brides splashing out over £100,000 on their dream day â€" portrays their people.

But Roisin said she is glad the show is giving a voice to Travellers, which they might not have had before.

She said: “It’s been very popular and it gets huge ratings, and what it has done is given our people an opportunity to get on TV and tell their stories.

“While some people don’t like the show, we’re respectful that the people on it are part of our community as well.”

And professional Irish dancer Roisin â€" who has danced with super hoofer Michael Flatley in Lord of the Dance and leads her own troupe Raven â€" also explained how she hopes their TV show helps change people’s attitudes.

She insisted: “What the Travelling Community would like people to see is that we’re a race of people.

“But we should be seen as individuals. We don’t want to be treated badly because of the race we’re born into.

“If a Traveller does something wrong, instead of saying ‘a man’ or ‘a woman’, people say ‘a Traveller’.

“Every other race is given complete respect, we just want the same as everyone else.”

Roisin and Jentina’s tour of Ireland saw them travel to Dublin, Galway, Athlone and Cork where they met talented people from the Travelling community.

And they’re hoping their search will finally lead them to their winner.

Former model Jentina said: “It’s not a beauty contest but a face of Travellers, we’re looking for someone who can speak on our behalf.” The 25-year-old Romany gypsy also told how she’s proud of how the series promotes the good work of her kinsmen.

She said: “I’m a proud Travelling woman, born into a Travelling family and I love it. It’s very important to me. We’ve met some great people in Ireland that could really represent us.”

One aspect of Travelling life shown on the show is the glam appearance of the women â€" with many wearing bright costumes and heavy make-up.

And Jentina explained: “I’ve never met any Travelling women that don’t make an effort. We do our utmost to look good. I’m not quite sure why that is.

“We’re very proud people, we’re proud of our houses, of how we come across and I suppose of how we look.”

She defended criticism of the Traveller custom of lavish weddings and ornate dresses that often weigh up to 12 STONE.

Jentina said: “In India they wear lots of bracelets, for Travellers big dresses is just the thing. But there are also lots of simple dresses.”

A GYPSY Life For Me will return to BIO (Sky 156) later this year.

aoife.bannon@the-sun.ie