Golden ‘Late Late’ memories

Fifty years of broadcasting were bridged across the interviewer’s desk as incumbent Ryan Tubridy sought to prise the secrets of The Late Late Show from its master Gay Byrne.

The young pretender asked about some of the most seismic moments in the history of the show from the days before competition from cable channels and the internet.

These included the night Pádraig Flynn sought sympathy for running three houses and when Terry Keane opened up about her affair with Charlie Haughey.

For the birthday party of the longest-running chat show in the world, Tubridy had the unenviable task of interviewing the man to whom commentators continually hark back when judging his own performance.

He also got the chance to talk to the third presenter of the nation’s most-watched chat show, Pat Kenny.

But like Tubridy, he admitted the shadow of the man who warmed the seat for 37 of its 50 years was hard to escape from.

“You cannot follow a legend,” said Kenny.

Kicking off the night, Byrne described how the concept of The Late Late Show was envisaged as a cheap knock-off of the Tonight Show in America.

And it was detested in its first few weeks by a television audience looking for a variety performance.

But before its run was due to finish over the summer, it started to win people over.

“For some reason I cannot account for, it suddenly became popular,” said Byrne.