Like so many other young boys, when Dancing With The Stars judge Arthur Gourounlian was in his early teens, he was obsessed with Baywatch, specifically, Pamela Anderson in her red swimsuit. He can remember sitting in front of the tiny television in his Salvation Army hostel in Brussels, staring at the beauty of the actors and the Californian sunshine, longing to be on those beaches and out in the world. Instead he was in a small room with two mattresses that his family called home, unable to go more than 20m outside the door for fear that they would be deported back to war-torn Armenia .
It’s just one of the reasons why he feels for the children who are currently living in direct provision in Ireland because he knows exactly what this is like. It’s also his main reason for becoming the ambassador for Kellogg’s GAA Cúl Camps, which are offering some free places to children in direct provision. ‘It is fantastic for these children who are waiting to see what their future will be and what will happen,’ Arthur explains.
‘For Kellogg’s and the GAA to support and help them for those few hours every day for a week, to go and have fun and make new friendships and just enjoy kicking the ball,’ he says, explaining that sport is an international language in itself so no matter where the children are from, it will be important. ‘It will make memories for life for those children,’ he says. ‘They will cherish it forever.
I wish I had that when I was locked up for thr.
