Tubridy Bags Late Late Slot

The role had been hotly fought for following Pat Kenny's surprise announcement that he was stepping down at the end of this season, with Gerry Ryan & Miriam O'Callaghan believed to be the other leading contenders for the biggest role on the RTE Schedules.

Managing Director of Television Noel Curran said today: “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 and its next incarnation: We’re delighted to announce that broadcaster is Ryan Tubridy.

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 1 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.

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. I’d like to pay tribute to the other contenders who would have made fine presenters of this programme. I would also like to thank everyone who helped to make Tubridy Tonight what it was over the last five years. ”

Ryan Tubridy’s first Late Late Show as host will be broadcast on 5 September 2009. 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.

Meanwhile speculation has intensified as to who will replace Ryan Tubridy on the Saturday night chat show slot that he is set to vacate. While Miriam O'Callaghan is an obvious contender, it may be that the current balance she has struck between handling Prime Time duties for much of the year and a summer entertainment chat show suit her well.

One RTÉ source confirmed to Hot Press that there had been support within the station for Lorraine Keane, who recently quit Xpose in dramatic circumstances, while Newstalk's Tom Dunne has also been cited as a potential contender. There are, of course, a number of variations open to RTE, with the possibility of introducing any potential newcomer to the station via their upcoming summer schedule.

Furthering the intrigue was Noel Curran, the MD of RTE Television, “We want to look again at our Saturday night schedule, 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.”