Who could replace Ryan Tubridy on The Late Late Show? Here are some of those being tipped
Miriam O'Callaghan and Brendan O'Connor are favourites to replace Ryan Tubridy on the Late Late Show
After 14 years at the helm of the country's most-iconic late night show, Ryan Tubridy is to step down as host of
The 49 year old will present his final show on May 26, two days before he celebrates his 50th birthday.Â
So who could be next to step into the hot seat? We've rounded up who we think could be in line for RTĂ's most coveted gig.
Bookies have tipped Miriam O'Callaghan as the favourite to take over The Late Late Show next season.
The and presenter was actually the bookies favourite to take the Late Late hotseat after Pat Kenny departed the show back in 2009, but of course, lost out to Ryan Tubridy.Â
The RTĂ star later told not getting the gig was her "biggest and most public knockback".
The 61-year-old got her chance to host the show, however, two years ago, when Tubridy had to miss two weeks due to Covid 19.
In doing so, the Foxrock native became the first woman to host the chat show in its 58-year run.
âI made history,â she told RTĂ Guide, of the long awaited moment.
2/1
Cork presenter Brendan O'Connor is also being tipped as a likely contender for Irish telly's biggest gig.
The 53-year-old currently presents on RTĂ radio 1 every Saturday and Sunday, and also writes for
He has plenty of television experience, having previously presented from 2010 to 2015, and four seasons of .
8/1
Laois journalist Claire Byrne would be a very likely contender for Tubridy's replacement.Â
The 47-year-old currently presents one of the country's flagship current affairs programmes, on RTĂ Radio 1, Monday to Friday from 10am and is the highest paid female presenter at the national broadcaster.
Last May, the host stepped away from her biggest TV role to date, which she had hosted since January 2015.
At the time, the mother of three said her decision was a result of wanting to spend more time with her family.
Speaking to the Irish Mirror she said, "I feel very strong and I feel like it took guts and courage. I feel like I took back my own power in making that call."
3/1
While O'Callaghan, O'Connor and Byrne all have strong backgrounds in news and current affairs, Baldoyle's Jennifer Zamparelli would bring something different to the long-standing chat show.
The 42-year-old comes from a comedy and entertainment background, and is a popular host on RTĂ's Dancing with the Stars. She also presents a morning show on RTĂ 2FM from 9am â 12pm every weekday. She previously co-hosted one of the country's biggest radio breakfast shows, on the same station. Zamparelli also has plenty of experience interviewing celebrities from her days.
8/1
Tommy Tiernan - While Tiernan doesn't come from a journalistic background, his show The Tommy Tiernan Show has been a runaway success. The Galway comedian would be a wildcard option.
6/1
Ray D'Arcy - The second-highest paid individual at RTĂ, the 58-year-old has Saturday night chat show experience and many will remember fondly D'Arcy's stint on The Den, RTĂ's flagship children's television series, so there would be no worries about his ability to pull off The Late Late Toy Show.
18/1
Sarah McInerney - The popular RTĂ Drivetime host would likely be a popular choice if she were to replace her afternoon radio slot for the prime-time Friday night show. Known for her razor-sharp interviewing skills, the Galway broadcaster would be unlikely to go easy on guests.Â
5/1
