The Speech is a life affirming new series, which aims to help individuals to overcome their fear of public speaking, and this week it’s proprietor of the Vibes and Scribes book and craft shop, Joan Lucey from Cork. A successful businesswoman, Joan is chatty, charming and confident – but when she’s asked to speak in public, that confidence plummets… In six weeks time, Joan is throwing a party to celebrate the launch of her business online – an occasion that will demand an impressive speech. The woman tasked with the job of preparing Joan for her big speech is television and radio presenter Kathryn Thomas. Kathryn knows that Joan has a lot work to do before she has the confidence to launch her online craft shop to the world. During the next few weeks, the tasks Kathryn sets for Joan escalate in intensity: from delivering a sales pitch for bananas on Moore Street, to showing tourists around Dublin Castle, Joan’s final challenge is to entertain a television studio audience before they watch a live show. It’s all unchartered territory for Joan, but will it help prepare her to deliver under the extreme pressure that she’ll face at the launch? As well as arming Joan with her own tricks of the trade, Kathryn organises a session with Remie Purtill-Clarke, a coach in performance and public speaking, in a bid to help Joan lose her inhibitions. After six weeks of training the day of Joan’s launch finally arrives. In Joan’s shop in Cork, guests start to arrive and Joan puts the tools she’s learnt into practice. Will the training she’s been given over the last few weeks give her the confidence she needs to pull off the speech of her life?