Our Interview with BREFFNY MORGAN
Breffny Morgan is a young man whose confidence, personality and great sense of humour has catapulted him from ‘virtual unknown' to 'celebrity status’ at the speed of light. Now a household name and instantly recognisable wherever he goes, Breffny’s popularity, it seems, was no flash in the pan, as he remains as loved now as he did when he first came to our attention as a candidate in TV3’s hit reality show, ‘The Apprentice’. Having held out on the show until week nine, Breffny was warmly embraced by the Irish public and his hilarious ‘quotes’ quickly became as famous as the show itself. Saying things like….. “The level of aggression and pent up angst would make the battle of Normandy look like a game of paintball” copper-fastened both Breffny’s popularity and that of the show. We were delighted to catch up with Breffny for a few questions and as usual, he doesn't disapoint! Prepare for some funny, witty and extremely stylish answers from the gorgeous Breffmeister!!
Q: So Breffny, how have things been for you since you came off The Apprentice?
A: Fantastic. I’m thankful for the public profile that the show gave me, but I am glad to have it as a distant memory. You see, life as an Apprentice contestant is quite two-dimensional. My real persona has more to offer the public, it’s just a matter of finding ways to get the real me across, and on that note I thank StyleBible.ie for
granting me this interview. I don’t hold back. Please read on…
Q: Do you keep in touch with the other contestants from the Show?
A: I’m just back from dinner at Aoiffe’s actually, she cooks a great salmon dish for me and the two Steves! I stay in touch with a handful of the contestants. Basically back when The Apprentice was filmed the house self-segregated into two social groups; a group of friends and a group of individuals. The friends were me, Aoiffe, the two Steves, and Brendan. All of us have stayed good friends, except Brendan, who cooked his goose with me when he tried scoring my best friend’s recent ex. Tut tut.Q: Did you feel like you learned anything from the show in terms of business or was it more of a profile boosting exercise?
A: Of course the show sharpened my business acumen, it got me in the habit of working with the perspective of every second counting and every decision being under the inevitable scrutiny of a perfectionist boss. It also taught me to trust no one,
act impulsively, and be calculating to the point of paranoia. But yes, to answer your question, the show was more than a profile boosting exercise, it was a profile creating event. I’d call it a big break, as much of a big break as can be had in Ireland.
Q:Have you any advice for people who may be auditioning for this years show?
A: I could answer this for days, but the short answer is the following:
Approach the application procedure with a view to being selected for TV purposes, only focus on being an applicant that Bill would like to hire after you have made it on to the show, as Bill’s wish list will be different to the production company’s, and it is the latter that calls the shots regarding cast. Be a stereotype, be a character, be
entertaining. Also, film yourself before the interviews, so that 1) you won’t be thrown off your game if they film your interview, and 2) so that you will see what you look like on a screen answering questions, and you can judge how bearable your level of mortification is before taking the plunge into the actual Apprentice experience.
Q: Do you enjoy being in the public eye?
A: Absolutely. Life’s too short not to be recognised.
Q: How much emphasis do you place on our public image?
A: Plenty. I know that my public image is that of a young man who generally made a fool of himself on national TV and had brief moments of retribution. Well, I’m making it my mission to stay in the public eye and display some real talent and poise. I’m basically on a reputation-correction crusade. And I’ll be damned if I let anyone stop
me until everybody that saw me stumble through The Apprentice gets the opportunity to see me displaying good career acumen and providing more laughing-with-me than laughing-at-me entertainment. More on that later…Q: Where do you like to shop?
A: I’m a very careful shopper. Rarely the impulse buyer, I shop when I have a specific interest in something. Let’s say I notice my wardrobe is in need of a new pink shirt; I’ll search high and low for the best cut, most striking shade, most appealing pattern, most appropriate label, and best price. I could be searching for weeks, but when I find that perfect pink shirt, I fall in love and will wear it with real affection. But specifically, I tend to shop most at Frewen & Aylward, Dun Laoghaire (Upper Georges Street). They are my loyal tailors, and are so pleasant that they are genuinely becoming friends. That is one factor that needs to be appended to my list of factors when shopping - personality. A good buy is always better when you remember fondly the experience of buying it. When I look at my suits, shirts and socks, I think of the good people in Frewen that I’ve build up great rapport with. That’s what good business is all about, giving products soul.
And apart from my penchant for good gentleman-style tailoring, I’ll admit that when it comes to jeans, I wear Hilfiger Freedom Cut and I pick up a fresh pair of the exact same jeans when I visit the States and go to Macys, this is usually a twice-yearly ceremony.
I shop for food in Dunnes, but eat proper meals in town or in the Breffmobile... Yes, I just called it the Breffmobile. It’s my 2010 Corolla and I love it. You can hear me within a half-mile radius driving around Dublin and Cork, I keep the 2Pac on max vol. just to spread a bit of culture as I pass through your neighbourhood.
Q: Do you work out or have an exercise regime?
A: After ten years of rowing, I have what’s called ‘the athlete’s disdain for exercise’. Being retired from crew, there is no championship race at the end of the season to work towards, so it’s hard to be motivated to work out when there is no prize reward to work towards; no showdown, no photo finish, no medal ceremony, no championship piss-up, no catharsis. But I am currently getting back into shape in spite of this, simply because I miss being ripped. I’m building up a mean push-up, pull-up, and sit-up routine in the mornings; it makes breakfast much tastier. Still, it is hard to hit the training when the competitive beast in me has since been put out to pasture.Q: You were recently given a ‘Best Dressed Newcomer’ Award at the
Kerry Fashion Awards – do you have any tips for other young men in
terms of dressing and grooming?
A: Yes, ...
Dressing:
Never conduct business underdressed. So if you are likely to encounter someone fully clad in suit and tie, then don’t leave home without a long piece of cloth hanging from your neck.
Dress with personal detail. Let your clothes make statements for you, almost like a 3D CV. An example of this is wearing your college scarf, which makes a direct statement about who and what you represent.
Forbid loved ones from shopping for you unsupervised. One of life’s awkward issues is when a mother, grandmother, or girlfriend presents you with a gift that you personally find totally alien to your style. The best solution to this problem is to insist that if a caring relative or gf wants to shop for you, then you make sure it is customary for you to be by their side to guide them to things you would actually wear. The unsupervised girlfriend gift is the worst case scenario, as you will eventually be caught out by a girlfriend if you see each other often as she will notice if you never wear her loving gift
because it is hideous to everyone but her.
Throw nothing out. Good clothes provide nostalgic bliss when found in years to come, so store away the clothes you lived in but have since stopped wearing.
Avoid shirts with collars and cuffs of different colours to the shirt itself. Convention dictates that only CEOs are allowed the privilege of this two-tone style (the look was made popular by Donald Trump), and honestly bright white or light blue shirts are much classier options. Think Obama’s bold white shirts, versus Dell Boy’s. A simple
shirt allows for focus on the tie, and the tie should be allowed be the most obviously expressive part of your outfit.
N.B. When it comes to women, if you are looking to attract a bombshell, then sport a damn good watch. And please, most women can tell the difference between a real and fake Rolex at first glance, so don’t risk it with the knock off you picked up at a mart in Shanghai. But if you are looking to attract a genuinely nice woman, focus on the
following: shoes. Why? You want a girl that empathises with you and views you in the same way she views herself. Since women obsess about their own footwear, a woman with empathy skills will turn her attention to your own shoes, so it’s best to invest in a pair of brogues that reflect your personality so that the nice girls can pick
up on the fact. So when shoe shopping, just think, ‘if I was a shoe, would I look like this’?
Grooming:
Have a signature cologne. Make sure a woman validates its merit before purchase, and try to avoid mainstream; even if everyone loves Jean Paul Gaultier and Polo Sport, chances are you will end up reminding the girl you are chatting up of her ex who wore the same. Scent evokes powerful emotions, so use a good fragrance that people warm to, especially women; they go crazy for your pheromones mixed with a good cologne. Spray behind the ears on the hairline as this is both a pulse point and a great location to make the scent last all day as cologne stays infused with hair longer than it does on skin. My flavour is Platinum Egoiste by Chanel.
Shaving: Use a shaving brush to apply the cream/foam/gel as not only will you feel like more of a gentleman, you will also get great exfoliation from the bristles.
Keep all body hair at a max. length of a Blade 2. To all men out there who may be too ‘country’ to shave all, I have two words: Virtual Inch.
Q: You seem to have a ‘flair’ for being in front of the camera, has TV Presenting crossed your mind at all as a future career option?
A: Presenting? Never say never, but I rather being involved in producing the content of a show rather than presenting the talent of others. Yes, I’m self-centered, but deep down, everybody is…
Q: Where do you see yourself in five years time?
A: In America, living the dream.
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