Former ‘Late Late Show’ presenters Gay Byrne and Pat Kenny will join current host Ryan Tubridy for a special 50th anniversary episode of the show on Friday, June 1.
The three chat show hosts will discuss the legacy of the longest-running television show ever, in front of a packed audience of people who have “made the ‘Late Late Show’ the most watched show” over the last 50 years.
Gay Byrne left the show in 1999 after hosting for 35 years, and Pat Kenny left after 10 years in 2009. Ryan Tubridy has since hosted the chat show.
Byrne and Kenny will join other confirmed audience members such as Irish actor Liam Neeson, musician Imelda May, and comedian Tommy Tiernan. Tubridy described the event as a “mix of a bit of Hollywood, bit of music, bit of comedy and a lot of Irish”.
Michael Kealy, executive producer of the ‘Late Late Show’, said: “The 50th anniversary programme will look back over the last half century in the company of many of the people and artists who've launched their careers on the show and who have gone on to national and international success. This show has been in planning for many months and I think it is shaping up to be something really special”.
Those who launched their careers on the show include Boyzone band members, who danced their way to a position in the band after an appearance on the ‘Late Late Show’ in 1993, and Sinéad O’Connor, whose television debut was as a guest on the show.
The anniversary special will air on RTÉ One on Friday, June 1, at 9.30pm.
