Deirdre O’Kane says she ‘paid a heavy price’ for staying at home to raise kids

Deirdre O'Kane has said that she wishes she'd kept working after she had her children.

The comedian, whose kids Holly and Daniel are 14 and ten, took a step back from work to raise them. Speaking recently, she says that her career took a hit because of her decision to be at home with them. "I don’t do regret but I would do things differently if could go back," the 50-year-old told Woman's Way. “I’m still happy enough with the road. In one way, it kind of stopped my career when I had children and I don’t regret that but I certainly paid a heavy price for it, you know? “So that’s a difficult one for women, it really is." she continued. "I probably should have kept going but do I regret having that time with my kids? "No, of course not but I probably could have done it better, I probably could have done both if I put my mind to it.” Deirdre, who is back touring her standup show, said that parenting teenagers is a massive job but that she reckons she's better at handling this stage than earlier ones. "God knows what’s coming down the track but I like these ages. "You can see the people emerging, the personalities emerging. It’s nice to be able to help them navigate it all."