The Late Late Show, the world's longest-running chat show by the same broadcaster, airs on RTÉ One for the first time.
The Late Late Show, with its title often shortened to The Late Late, is an Irish chat show. It is the world's second longest-running late-night talk show, after the American The Tonight Show. Perceived as the official flagship television programme of the Republic of Ireland's public service broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ), it is regarded as an Irish television institution (even abroad) and is broadcast live across two hours plus in front of a studio audience on Friday nights between September and May at 21.30. Certain segments are sometimes pre-recorded and aired within the live parts of the show.
Having maintained the same name and format continuously, The Late Late Show was first broadcast on Friday, 6 July 1962 at 23.20 and in colour from 1976. Originating as temporary summer filler for a niche Saturday night audience (airing at 23.30), it later moved to its current home on Friday night schedules. The format has remained largely the same throughout—dialogue, comic sketches, musical performances, discourse on topical issues. It has influenced attitudes of the populace towards approval or disapproval of its chosen topics, directed social change and helped shape Irish societal norms. It averages 650,000 viewers per episode and has consistently achieved RTÉ's highest ratings.For much of its early life, RTÉ Television Centre's Studio 1 at Montrose in Donnybrook, Dublin 4, was its home; this original studio accommodated a small audience of about 120. In 1995, The Late Late Show transferred to the more spacious Studio 4, adapted specifically to cater for this and Kenny Live. Three external broadcasts have aired, including from the Wexford Opera House on 5 September 2008 and, most recently, from London in 2018.Gay Byrne hosted the show from its inception until 21 May 1999. Pat Kenny was Byrne's successor hosting the show for 10 years between 1999 and 2009. Ryan Tubridy is the current presenter, having succeeded Kenny in September 2009. Under Tubridy, first Quinn Group and then Sky Broadband added sponsorship deals. Tubridy's arrival coincided with a marked increase in audience ratings with some early statistics comparing him to the Byrne era. Kenny was to make an unexpected return as host on 1 February 2013, announced RTÉ on 30 January. Miriam O'Callaghan presented the programme amid a global pandemic in 2020, when regular host Ryan Tubridy was quarantined with (initially) suspected symptoms of COVID-19. Following confirmation that Tubridy was COVID-19 positive, O'Callaghan continued in this role until he recovered.