Ryan Tubridy New ‘Late Late Show’ Host | The Irish Film & Television Network

The move follows the announcement by current host Pat Kenny that he was standing down as presenter at the end of March 2009.

Managing Director of Television Noel Curran said of Tubridy’s appointment: “Taking on the mantle of presenting the longest-running chat show in the world and a key entertainment brand for RTÉ is no easy task. We have thought long and hard about who the right presenter is to bring ‘The Late Late Show’ into its 48th year…’The Late Late Show’ is a unique programme that involves entertainment, comedy, audience interaction and social discussion. Ryan has shown time and time again on Television and on his RTÉ Radio One show that he can handle the range of interviews required of a Late Late Show presenter, with both skill and insight. He’s a great broadcaster and we know he’ll make the show his own.”

The RTÉ chief also hinted at a shakeup in the Late Late format saying; “Announcing a new presenter also allows us to look again at ‘the Late Late Show’. We want to keep the mix of entertainment and social discussion that are at its core but we also want to look at new ways of harnessing Ryan’s enormous strengths. He has a huge energy and passion for the show and we all look forward to working with him and playing to those strengths on air.”

Ryan Tubridy said on the announcement: “I’m very taken aback by this announcement. ‘The Late Late Show’ casts a wide net across this island and it is a humbling honour to be asked to present such an iconic programme.”

Tubridy’s background in broadcasting began when having studied Arts at UCD, he became a runner in RTÉ radio, working on The Gerry Ryan Show and later as a reporter on ‘Today with Pat Kenny’. He began presenting radio shows ‘Morning Glory’ and ‘The Sunday Show’ on RTÉ Radio 1 then moved to RTÉ 2fm's morning breakfast show – ‘The Full Irish’. In 2006 he presented ‘The Tubridy Show’, on weekday mornings on RTÉ Radio One and then moved in broadcasting in 2004 he began presenting his Saturday night chat show ‘Tubridy Tonight’.

‘Tubridy Tonight’ will not return in the Autumn leaving a slot open in RTÉ Entertainment schedule: “We want to look again at our Saturday night schedule,” said Curran. “Do we need two chat shows on a weekend? Maybe we do, but we want to take this opportunity to also look at other entertainment show possibilities. There will be a new home-produced entertainment show for Saturday night and we will consider carefully what that show will be.”

Ryan Tubridy’s first ‘Late Late Show’ as host will be broadcast on the first week in September. The series will run, as always, from September to the end of May 2010. Pat Kenny’s last ‘Late Late Show’ as host will be broadcast on Friday 29 May 2009.

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