Operation Transformation recap: Thankfully, shame has been ...
Two facts that will make you feel old: Macaulay Culkin is a terrifying 43 and Operation Transformation is incredibly returning for its seventeenth season, making it one of RTÉ’s more successful franchises in recent years.
Once again we are putting the uneaten advent calendars to one side and cheering on five brave participants as they share their health journeys with us. Our first hero is Michelle, a Dubliner, living in Meath, who speaks of losing a sister at a young age, and the part it has played in her motivation for getting fit, namely for her kids. It is a powerful story and one which will resonate with many.
Noel is now 57, and shares movingly about how the death of his father when he was 16 changed the course of his life forever. His desire to get healthy for his family, including a son with Down syndrome, reaffirms this show as one which is no longer focused on the superficialities of weight loss. What marks Operation Transformation apart from other similar formats is the exploration of people’s stories that have led them to their health crossroads.
Edel O’Malley is your quintessential farmer’s daughter and, having travelled the world, is now working in the incredibly shabby Ashford Castle (a rough spot, but somebody has to do it). Edel openly talks of her confusion upon meeting her partner Marchim initially, unsure whether he was Polish or whether she had, in fact, just drunk too much wine — to be fair, we’ve all been there. Like many mams, Edel has felt a bit lost in motherhood and no longer recognises herself, a feeling that will undoubtedly register with so many new mothers out there, this reviewer included.
Cancer survivor Darragh is more aware than most of the importance of health, with his two children pushing him to be the best version of himself he can be, hence his commitment to this fitness quest. Finally, Anne from Wexford is determined to prove age is just a number, and is adamant that a hip replacement shouldn’t define her or anyone who has undergone similar procedures.
Throughout its many seasons, the thing that has transformed the most is the show itself, as it has moved away from weighings in underwear and what were at times unnecessarily cruel dressing-downs. By incorporating less shaming and more understanding, Operation Transformation makes for much more comfortable viewing, where we feel there is a genuine wish to support participants in their goals.
This whole show is built around the capacity of human beings to evolve, so it is no wonder that this TV show too, has listened to criticism and responded accordingly. Once again we look forward to following five very human, very likeable people on their quest for change, and we wish them all the best, even if we do so whilst simultaneously polishing off the remnants of a forgotten chocolate orange. Because progress is, after all, a journey, not a destination.
