Six talked-about moments on Patrick Kielty's first season as host ahead of RTE Late Late Show finale
We take a look back at some of Patrick Kielty's best and worst moments as host of the Late Late Show on RTE since taking over from Ryan Tubridy
Patrick Kielty is set to host his final Late Late Show of the season on Friday night after 30 shows in the hotseat of the iconic RTÉ show.
We take a look back at some of his best and worst moments as host of the Friday night chat show since taking over from Ryan Tubridy.
His first show, where he poked fun at the RTÉ payments controversy
Kielty started the season off strong as 833,000 people watched his debut as host on September 15. A peak audience of 934,000 was recorded.
READ MORE: Irish OnlyFans star making €11k per week says porn is 'the nicest industry' she's ever worked in
Kielty’s guests on the opening night included Tommy Tiernan, former Irish President Mary McAleese, footballer James McClean and The 2 Johnnies. The presenter made multiple close-to-the-bone references about the controversies that had engulfed Ireland's national broadcaster last summer.
"Based on the latest figures for TV licence payments, we're expecting an audience of up to 27 people tuning in tonight,” he joked.
Kielty's first Toy Show, described as another "dream come true"
Kielty said at the time: “I actually get to host the show that I watched as a wee fella with my mum, my dad and my brothers. Say a prayer for all on board as I try to hold it together and to all the kids who are going to be watching and to all those let loose in the studio.
Over 1,575,800 people tuned into Kielty's first Toy Show on November 24, the theme of which was based on the movie Elf.
Michelle O'Neill appears on the Late Late Show for the first time
The first Minister of Northern Ireland and Sinn Fein’s vice-president promised “to give it my all” in the top job when asked by Kielty if she thinks a unionist will ever hold the position again.
"I’m going to work to ensure that I’m staying in this post for as long as I possibly can,” she replied. "I know I’m the Good Friday Agreement generation, I know I can do great things in this role.”
Stevie Mulrooney singing Ireland's Call
The eight-year-old melted the nation's hearts when he belted out Ireland's Call on the Late Late Toy Show.
He impressed viewers with his polite and kind demeanour when Irish Rugby stars Peter O'Mahony and Bundee Aki surprised the youngster. Aki and O'Mahony gifted the Ireland superfan a signed jersey, and the IRFU also gave Stevie and his family tickets for the upcoming Six Nations home game against Italy.
But star forward Josh van der Flier had one more trick up his sleeve as he invited Stevie to sing Ireland's Call before the game. Calling Stevie, superstar Josh asked Stevie if he would sing the anthem at the game, to which Stevie responded: "I would love to do that for my nation."
Sheamie on the Late Late Toy Show
Seven-year-old Sheamie from Co Clare was going on 70 and his mullet was simply iconic. The youngster appeared on the show to talk about his love for Lego but told Kielty his story.
He started out by saying: "Before I start chatting now Patrick, do you mind if I say something quick to you?" Patrick replied: "You can tear away."
Sheamie then said: "After today when I met you I was thinking to myself I bet you didn't know you had something in common with a seven-year-old from the country in Clare."
Patrick asked: "And what do we have in common?" The young man explained: "That it's both our first toy show, Patrick."
Sheamie then explained how his grandmother had been collecting Lego for a long time and she allowed him to bring her collection with him. "She won't let me bring that up to my own house but she let me bring it up to the big smoke," he said.
Patrick went on to ask who helped him build his Lego pieces and he added: "My uncle had to take a Lego day off work." The Co Down host then asked: "And where does he work?" However, Sheamie kept his lips sealed as he said: "Now Patrick I don't want to be saying something like that. I don't want to be getting him in trouble," leading to laughs from the audience.
Belfast rappers Kneecap flout RTÉ rules to show support for Palestine
The Irish language rappers drew rapturous applause from the live audience when the balaclava-clad DJ Próvaí unzipped his jacket to reveal a pro-Palestinian jersey just two minutes into their interview with Patrick Kielty. Fellow band members Mo Chara and Móglaí Bap also wore small watermelon badges, historically synonymous with pro-Palestinian protest.
In a statement, RTÉ said Kneecap’s manger was told their appearance would be cancelled if they insisted on wearing pro-Palestinian badges during their appearance on the flagship talk show.
“During the live performance and the subsequent interview, the band chose not to comply with that agreement,” a spokesperson for the state broadcaster told The Journal. “They put badges on and revealed that one band member was wearing a Palestinian football jersey.”
Kneecap’s unveiling of the football top early into their Late Late Show debut prompted Patrick Kielty to acknowledge the “costume change” and address the ongoing bloodshed in Gaza.
“Our thoughts are with everybody in that conflict,” said the Co Down presenter. “Some horrific stuff is happening there. I also have to say, I’m also obliged to say that in the politics there’s some people that might not agree what you’ve done.”
For the latest breaking news and top stories, visit our homepage
Join the Irish Mirror’s breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive breaking news and the latest headlines direct to your phone. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Related
Share this page
Guest Posts by Easy Branches
