What Women Want

One of Ireland’s top models Leah O’Reilly talked to JOE about what girls want in a guy, online dating, attractive sports, going on holidays with Georgia Salpa and gingers...

JOE: Okay I’ll start off with the same question as always – what do you look for in a guy?

Leah O'Reilly: Oh I like guys to be themselves, but I do personally like guys that are quite confident, kind of cheeky chappies.

Sometimes Irish guys can be a little bit forward - so confident, but not overconfident would be the main thing with me.

JOE: Confidence is quite a fragile thing that usually needs to be built up for some guys, what would you say to your own male friends and the wider readership of JOE about how to do that?

LO'R: Just to be yourself.

I think people kind of fumble when they try to be someone else or try to be a person they think a girl wants you to be...but I think if you be yourself and are sure of yourself - that impresses girls, instead of trying to exert a confidence you don’t have.

So try to be yourself instead of someone else, I suppose, because girls can always tell when a guy is being fake or someone that they’re not.

JOE: One of the things that is mentioned on message boards all the time by some bitter sounding guys is that Irish girls can be particularly cruel?

LO'R: I think there is a thin line...because a lot of my friends on a night out for instance would say drunken guys can be kind of annoying so they just kind of brush them off.

So they can come across as kind of cruel to guys who are genuinely trying to come across and be nice.

I mean, I have seen girls who have been approached by guys who fob them off straight away too. I think girls have got to give guys a chance. If guys are being really ignorant and obnoxious and in your face drunk then of course girls are going to walk away.

But if there are guys that are being genuine, then the girls that are single and interested should give them the benefit of the doubt.

Even my boyfriend when we’re out on a night out and I’d talk to guys he’d be like “You might be giving them false hope.” So it’s a tricky situation sometimes, but I think girls should always be polite regardless, you know?

It does take a lot to approach a randomer in a bar!

JOE: It is accepted wisdom that the only place you’re going to meet a girl is in a bar or a club on a night out – what would be other places that you could approach girls that might be open to be chatting up?

LO'R: I mean I was chatted up before in Dundrum in the shopping centre and I thought that was so cool because I knew he wasn’t drunk...At least I hope he wasn’t! [Laughs]

I think anywhere, but it does depend on the guy.

Um, some of my friends have actually turned to an app called plentyoffish.com - I don’t know if you’ve heard of it?

It’s like a Facebook for single people, you build a profile and I didn’t realise how many people are on this.

A few of my friends are on it now and one my friends, she’s 28, she says she just puts on her profile what she’s looking for and it cuts out what she’s not looking for.

She’s like “I don’t want to be chatting up guys in bars, I’m too tired of it now, at least here I can screen them.”

There’s a lot of that going on as well...

JOE: Is it more sociably acceptable to do the internet-dating-thing these days?

LO'R: Yeah a couple of girls I know are on it and one them is dating a guy she met on it.

So yeah, and I think when girls reach a certain kind of age – late twenties that are doing it. It’s also more acceptable with people meeting on Facebook and Twitter anyway...

JOE: It’s not the sort of thing you’d throw your eyes up to heaven with if you heard of someone doing it?

LO'R: Well at the start I did but then my friend explained it to me and I was like “Well if that’s what you want to do, that’s what you want to do...” as long as she’s not approached by freaks! But so far they seem normal...

JOE: ...and it’s none of your model friends that are on this website? I don’t want to break it by having loads of lads joining it now...

LO'R: [Laughs] No it’s none of my model friends!

JOE: Over the last few years rugby has been the sport girls want to see guys play, what type of sports do you think are attractive for guys to play?

LO'R: Well, I’m not that sporty and for me rugby is a bit rough, it’s manly, but it’s rough! I kind of prefer football...

JOE: Speaking on behalf of Irish women who would be the ideal Irish celebrity who would be the template for most Irish males to base themselves on?

LO'R: Irish...probably...Bressie...he’d probably be it!

JOE: We might have heard that answer before...

LO'R: Yeah I’d say he’s probably number one...

JOE: Is that because of his bulging arms?

LO'R: [Laughs] probably!

JOE: A remarkably talented guy...he’s been a DJ, TV presenter, rugby player and a musician...

LO'R: Yeah I don’t know him, but from what I’ve heard he’s meant to be a really, really nice guy. Really down-to-earth and humble... so that’s good, that’s always attractive for girls as well...

JOE... as well as the big arms?!

LO'R: [Laughs] They help!

JOE: I’ve been asking our guests on this series on silly things girls either really love or really hate. Last week I asked Nadia Forde about skinny jeans, this week I’d like your opinion on people with ginger hair and if it’s a bit of a stigma?

LO'R: No for me it’s not, I don’t think it is at all.

One of my guy friends has ginger hair and he’s really good-looking and never has trouble with girls at all.

I think it’s just there is a bit of a taboo with all the jokes and all. There is a bit of a stigma with ginger hair.

I think it’s one of these things – it depends on the person. It’s an unfair taboo though, some my friends have ginger hair and they’re the most stunning girls.

For me it’s not an issue.

JOE: What’s the most annoying fashion trait you find among Irish men in your opinion?

LO'R: For guys it would be...Crocs!!! I hate Crocs!!! I have seen a couple of guys wearing them when the sun was out... they should be burned! [Laughs]

JOE: So that’s a no go....finally you’re jetting off to Marbella soon after this interview...don’t reveal  any locations... but you’re heading off with Georgia Salpa and a few friends...

LO'R: Yeah there’s me Georgia, Louise Kavanagh, Michelle McGrath, Karina Graham and my business partner Emily Keogh and another girl Aoife. So we’re just heading over for an end-of-summer thing.

Below: The girls on holiday, shortly after this interview took place...damn, should have booked Marbella...

JOE: And is it beach and partying? Or beach and relaxing?

LO'R: Both!

JOE: You have a few Irish guys wishing they were in Marbella now!

LO'R: Ha, well you need to get away for the end of summer.

JOE: It was lovely speaking to you Leah, enjoy the holidays!

LO'R: Will do. See you soon JOE!