
Grammy winning Irish musician Cian Ducrot says girlfriend is his ‘rock'
Cian Ducrot says his partner Sofia Jane is the inspiration for his songs
Grammy winning Irish musician Cian Ducrot admits his girlfriend has been his 'rock' for the past five years.
And the Cork singer admits many of his best-selling songs are about Sofia Jane Cunningham, a fitness coach from Eastbourne in England.
The couple live in London and Sofia regularly shares her workouts on social media, as well as holidays and events with Cian.
'I met Sofia very early on in the pandemic and we have been together almost five years and she is definitely my rock and my muse,' Cian (27) tells the Sunday World.
Sofia Jane and Cian have been together for years
'A lot of the music that I write is about her and inspired by her and the feelings that I have for her. She has taught me so much about life and she reminds me constantly to be grateful, and to take things in.
'She is very much my other half in all of this and we travel the world together, and she loves music.'
Cian's track All For You was regularly used on Love Island in 2022, bringing the Douglas star to a whole new audience.
Crowned
'When I was in boarding school I watched a bit [of Love Island] with some friends for fun and then I kind of didn't watch it at all,' he recalls.
'Then I randomly decided to watch it that year, when my song on it, which was very kind of random.
'To my surprise, the one night I wasn't watching it, because I was out for dinner with my friends, I leave dinner and my phone is blowing up with 'oh my God your song was on Love Island' It's crazy, very mad.'
Cian Ducrot with the Grammy he won for co-writing Saturn
Cian's first album Victory featured not only All For You but also I'll Be Waiting, while his upcoming album Little Dreaming will be released in July.
The hitmaker nabbed a Grammy for his contribution in co-writing SZA's song Saturn, which was crowned Best R&B Song, while earlier this year he also sang the Irish and French national anthems prior to the Ireland/France game in Dublin's Aviva stadium. Cian's dad is French and his mum is Irish.
Tonight Cian can be seen on Virgin Media's Secret Headliner, where a couple of hundred people were invited to a gig, not knowing who the artist was until they walked out on stage.
'I knew there would be people there that would be hopefully excited to see me and surprised, and then I knew that there was obviously people who didn't know who they were going to see and probably weren't fans of mine,' he reflects.
'And maybe have never been to a show before and possibly would have never have come to a show or even bought tickets to come to see me.
'It was a really exciting thing again to hopefully be able to win them over and give a show that these new fans maybe would be able to enjoy, and I think that's really exciting to try and win people over, it adds another element to the gig.'
Sofia Jane
Cian was inundated with requests for support acts and gave the slot to rising Sligo singer Paddy Keyes.
'Paddy just had this thing that stood out to me, that made me feel something and it was kind of that instinct and gut feeling where I just felt it,' he says.
Cian was also picked as the headline act for the New Year's Eve celebrations in Dublin Castle to ring in 2025, and his success in recent years is a far cry from his appearance on BBC's The Voice nine years ago when none of the four judges turned for him.
'The Voice was one of those early moments for me where I was kind of up on a high and I fell down from a high... that has happened many, many, many times since, maybe less publicly than something like The Voice,' he reveals.
'We only learn from our failures anyway, so I think if you're just successful all the time you'll never get anywhere.'

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Irish Sun
an hour ago
- The Irish Sun
‘I felt and feel lucky', says Ryan Tubridy as he reveals romantic way he popped the question to fiance Clare
RYAN Tubridy has revealed the romantic way he popped the question to his fiance Dr Clare Kambamettu. The 2 Ryan Tubridy proposed to his long-term partner Clare during a romantic getaway Credit: Terrie Burton Noir Photique 2 The radio host has opened up about the proposal Credit: Getty Images - Getty The pair have since kept the inner details of their love under wraps and while Ryan hadn't planned on revealing the news just yet, he was forced to come clean after a jewellers let it slip that he had visited their store. The radio host, who shared the news with his listeners on Tuesday, has now revealed how he carefully planned the romantic proposal to his long-term partner. Writing in his Mail on Sunday column, he said: "I don't want to give all the details but I do want to share a few moments because some people were enormously helpful along the way." READ MORE ON RYAN TUBRIDY Ryan explained that he had always planned to buy the ring in Clifden, an area which him and Clare both love and where the local jewellers has been a long-standing family run business. He explained: "I've also been preaching about shopping local for years so I wasn't going to Tiffany's… I called Jonty Daly in O'Dalaigh's and asked for some guidance and I can tell you, the man's a diamond!" The podcaster then went on to say: "The care, attention and thought he put into every detail was above and beyond, right down to him driving out to Renvyle House Hotel to deliver the 'package' to Anne Marie Kelly, the incomparable general manager there. It was all so much fun and it felt distinctly Irish." Ryan has often spoken about his love for the West Coast of Ireland, and this proposal showed just how much the area means to the pair. MOST READ IN THE IRISH SUN He said: "By the Atlantic shore, I asked the important question and thankfully, the answer was in the affirmative – and so began the most gorgeous weekend." The 52-year-old revealed that the "staff and joyful hotel patrons" helped make each part "feel special". Donncha O'Callaghan has Ryan Tubridy in stitches He added: "We called into Jonty the next day to thank him and his staff; there was a little confusion about online stories but that was entirely at my end. Jonty did not let the cat out of the bag, it was an innocent miscommunication and we're all firm friends. "In fact, he joined us at The Abbeyglen Castle Hotel that evening where my cousin Brian Hughes and his amazing wife, Michelle, raised a few glasses with another cousin, Rachael Coyle and her brilliant husband, Shane. "Another lovely night was had that ended with songs at the piano! After that, it was Scrabble, cycling and sleeping before boarding a plane in Shannon and heading to the skies a different man with a whole new vista ahead. I felt and feel lucky, happy and ready for another welcome twist in the tale." Earlier this week, the dad-of-two told his Virgin Radio UK listeners: "I have a little bit of news that I was kind of keeping a little bit to myself - to ourselves. "Even though I'm a public person doing the job I do, I also have quite a lot of privacy that I like to keep to myself. HAPPY COUPLE "However, the cat has been removed from the bag for a number of reasons and I'm very, very, very happy to confirm that I did indeed get engaged to my partner Clare on Thursday evening in the West of Ireland." Speaking about his longterm love, Tubs previously told The Irish Sun: "She has brought an awful lot of joy into my life and happiness and support. "I don't want to talk too much about her, because my private life has always stayed private. "But I think anyone who has met or knows Clare will know exactly why we are seeing each other. I feel very lucky." Asked at the time if the clinical psychologist, who he first interviewed on his RTE Radio One show in March 2023, had been a major support during the last six months. Tubs replied: "Remarkably so."


Sunday World
an hour ago
- Sunday World
Zach Bryan reveals his favourite Irish pub – and left jaw-dropping tip for staff
Zach the lad | Staff gobsmacked as the American country superstar gives €6K tip to three staff members The singer, who is performing to 180,000 fans at the Phoenix Park this weekend, with the final of three shows taking place this evening, spent Wednesday night drinking in The Celt on Dublin's Talbot Street after landing in Ireland that day. 'Shout out to the Celt last night, best damn bar in Ireland,' Bryan posted on his Instagram after the visit. And yesterday publican Noel Tynan, the owner of The Celt, told how the Something In The Orange singer gave his three bar staff a total of €6,000 as a tip after hearing how one of them was working late night to pay his college fees. 'Zach was at the counter talking to staff and one of them said he was a student,' Noel reveals. Country star Zach Bryan arm-wrestling pub owner Noel Tynan 'He was asking why he was working so late and he said he was doing it to get a few bob for college. 'Maybe I'll help you,' Zach said. 'So he left a tip of €6,000 for the three of them and said, 'That's his fees paid for now.' He also gave me tickets for a couple of terminally ill children from Crumlin Hospital to attend the show tonight. 'Zach is the most down-to-earth young fella you'll ever meet. He first came here two years ago when he played a couple of nights at The Helix. 'Hugo Keenan the rugby player is pretty friendly with him and my son, Donnacha, is good friends with Hugo. It was Hugo who had brought him back here the first time. 'They had been down in Temple Bar, but it wasn't Zach's scene. He's from a small place called Oologah in Oklahoma, which has a population of 4,000 people. 'Hugo said, 'I know a great pub,' and he brought him here that night and sure he loved it. We have a great mix of tourists and locals and there's a couple of characters in the pub as well and they like that. There's a great céad míle fáilte. The bar staff chat to everyone. 'My son, Donnacha, is a good guitar player and singer. He did a number of Irish ballads for Zach that night and the next thing Zach started singing. He's on YouTube singing songs in The Celt two years ago.' Country star Zach Bryan News in 90 Seconds - June 22nd On Wednesday night Bryan took The Celt's owner Noel Tynan in an arm wrestle – later posting a photo on social media. 'It was a serious arm wrestle and I've seldom been beaten, even by rugby players, but I was shocked how quick he put me down,' Noel said yesterday. 'He's as strong as an ox.' Noel also revealed that while Zach hasn't been back to the bar, which was mobbed on Wednesday after he revealed he was drinking there, his dad Dewayne Bryan has been in The Celt every day since – and was yesterday mingling with country fans and Limerick hurling supporters in the pub.' 'In the last couple of days Dewayne has been giving tickets for Zach's concert to people in the pub who get up and sing,' Noel added. Although most people in Ireland weren't familiar with Zach Bryan before this weekend – his followers found him on YouTube and various music platforms. He first began uploading his songs to YouTube in 2017, with his buddies filming him live on his iPhone. One of his songs, Heading South, finally went viral, which set him on the road to the success he's enjoying today. Following his debut on the Grand Ole Opry in 2021, he then got a record contract with Warner Records. On Spotify, Zach, whose hits include I Remember Everything, was the third most streamed artist of 2024 in the US, with Taylor Swift being tops and Drake in second place.


The Irish Sun
2 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Love Island's Harry reveals surprising encounter with A-list actress, boasting ‘I think I had a chance'
LOVE Island's Harry has revealed a surprising encounter with a huge A-list actress. On last night's Unseen Bits on ITV2, the islanders were going through their celebrity crushes in the Beach Hut Bonanza segment. 5 Footballer Harry Cooksley told viewers about his celebrity crush in the beach hut 5 He admitted on the show that he met the Oscar nominee on a plane Credit: Getty Farnham Town footballer He admitted on camera: "The incredible Margot Robbie. "And I'll tell you exactly why, I sat next to her on a flight, we chatted the entire way." He added: "And I actually thought I had a chance with her." READ MORE ON LOVE ISLAND Margot, 34, is best known for her huge roles as Harley Quinn in the Suicide Squad movies. She also starred alongside Brad Pitt in films such as This was after she had her mainstream breakthrough for her role in Martin Scorsese's The Barbie actress is also well known to be a superfan of the long-running ITV reality series. Most read in TV For her 31st birthday she celebrated with her nearest and dearest with a Love Island themed party. She has also met various former contestants including Maura Higgins does SHOTS with Margot Robbie as Hollywood's biggest Love Island fan invites her out for lunch The Oscar nominee also previously invited Maura Higgins They both did shots together after they ordered a whole bottle of Margot's own gin, Papa Salt Coastal gin to the table. In 2020, Birds of Prey which led to him getting a cameo in Barbie as a human Ken doll. The reality personality previously told Cosmopolitan: "She's just really down to earth and cool. She's one of the nicest people I've ever met." Love Island 2025 full lineup : A 30-year-old footballer with charm to spare. : A 22-year-old Manchester-based model, ready to turn heads. : A payroll specialist from Southampton, looking for someone tall and stylish. : International business graduate with brains and ambition. : A gym enthusiast with a big heart. : A Londoner with celebrity connections, aiming to find someone funny or Northern. : An Irish actress already drawing comparisons to Maura Higgins. : A personal trainer and semi-pro footballer, following in his footballer father's footsteps. : A towering 6'5' personal trainer. : A 25-year-old Irish rugby pro. : Love Island's first bombshell revealed as sexy Las Vegas pool party waitress. : The 24-year-old bombshell hails from London and works as a commercial banking executive. : A teaching assistant from Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, who entered Love Island 2025 as a bombshell . : Works as a scaffolder day-to-day and plays semi-pro football on the side. : Pro footballer and model entering Love Island 2025 as a bombshell. Departures : : Axed after an arrest over a machete attack emerged. He was released with no further action taken and denies any wrongdoing. : A model and motivational speaker who has overcome adversity after suffering life-changing burns in an accident. : A boxer with striking model looks, seeking love in the villa. 5 The reality star thought that he 'had a chance' with the actress as they chatted for the whole flight 5 Margot rose to A-list status after starring in The Wolf Of Wall Street with Leonardo DiCaprio Credit: Getty 5 She has since appeared in huge productions alongside the likes of Brad Pitt, Will Smith and John Cena Credit: Getty Love Island continues on ITV2 and is available to stream on ITVX .