Late Late Show recap: Ryan Tubridy sails into the sunset on red Vespa after final show
Ryan Tubridy pictured on the series finale of The Late Late Show. Picture Andres Poveda
“Will you do me the honour of joining me for one more for the road, everybody? It’s my last show, we are — for one last time — open for business.”
Ryan Tubridy exited his final Late Late Show with the characteristic enthusiasm and flair for fun he has shown as its host for the past 14 years.
On what could have been a downcast lament for his sunset show, instead the audience was treated to an all-singing, all-dancing, all-Tubridy programme of events.
Opening with clips of a fresh-faced Tubridy welcoming viewers to his first show in 2009 and sweeping across some memorable moments, from Francis Brennan’s duvet-changing skills to Bono filling his water from Tubridy’s glass, and everything in between. Arriving to an extended standing ovation, Tubridy first paid tribute to his successor, Patrick Kielty.
“You might not have heard and not much has been said or written about it but I am vacating the seat,” he joked. “I said it this week and I want to say it again before we do anything else: I want to wish the very best to the new man in the job. Patrick Kielty takes the reins next season. Great choice. Lovely fella. We’re in great, safe hands. I can’t wait to see what he does with the job. He’s gonna be great and a great team around him. Good luck, Paddy, and to your family. It’s gonna be wonderful.”
Tubridy said he was overwhelmed by kindness from the public ahead of his last Late Late. “Thanks to everybody for their kindness this week. I must say it’s been a wonderful 14 years,” he said.
President Michael D Higgins invited Tubridy into Áras an Uachtaráin on Thursday to record their last Late Late Show interview together to discuss the past and look ahead to the future.
Mr Higgins reflected on the Famine’s impact on the Irish language, music, and land issues that echo through the country to this day. He also shared a touching note from US president Joe Biden, who wrote to Mr Higgins following the death of his dog, Bród, earlier this year.
As he promised at the close of his penultimate show, Tubridy was joined one last time by his friends from Toy Shows past, including Cork’s own Adam King, who went viral after his appearance on the Toy Show in 2020 with his handmade ‘A Hug For You’ heart, and Saoírse Ruane, who helped to launch the first Toy Show Appeal charity fundraiser and who is currently battling cancer for the third time. The Toy Show Appeal, which has raised €18m for children’s charities since 2020 across Ireland, was under the spotlight too, with the work of several charities shared.
A large number of Toy Show stars past, many now grown up, joined forces to surprise the outgoing host and perform ‘When I’m Gone’ in tribute to Tubridy, who greeted them with hug, handshakes and a tear in his eye. “It’s so good to see you all. My, how you’ve grown,” he said. “When you’re doing the Toy Show, I’ve never really seen too many of the children again. You’re like a fly in amber [to me], I always think you’re going to stay that age because that’s how I associate you. But when I see you all grown up and so elegant, smart and talented, I just want to say thank you. You gave me so much. I’m just lost for words,” he said, his voice breaking.
To one 10-year-old Toy Show star sobbing among the crowd, he comforted her and other children affected by his departure: “We’re friends in our hearts forever, you know? And the next guy is gonna be great too and he’s gonna mind all the children.”
It was an apt farewell to ‘The Toy Man’ — a moniker he gained from the children of Ireland who grew up associating the broadcaster with the joys of Christmas.
The night touched upon some of the most important conversations on the show that have resonated socially across Ireland, showing moments with people like Laura Brennan, Catherine Corless, and Vicky Phelan, before Tubridy was joined by Joanne O’Riordan, Robbie Lawlor, Majella O’Donnell, PJ Gallagher and Charlie Bird.
The cast of Mrs Brown’s Boys, Saoirse Ronan, Jessie Buckley and Paul McCartney also wished him well in a video, with the Beatles star leaving Tubs lost for words.
There was much music and mirth on set, with an Irish trad supergroup assembling to give Tubridy a send-off he won’t forget: Andrea Corr, John Sheahan of The Dubliners, Steve Wickham of The Waterboys, Sharon Shannon, Jim Higgins of The Stunning, and many more provided the tunes for a “session to end all sessions”. In addition, Cork singer Cian Ducrot gave a special finale performance to mark the occasion too.
And after giving Gay Byrne a Harley Davidson on his final Late Late, Bono and the Edge recorded a video for Tubridy and enlisted PJ Gallagher to present the host with a red Vespa, with Bono noting he is “more of a mod than a rocker”.
“Tonight was a night of endings but also beginnings,” an emotional Tubridy said in his farewell. He paid tribute to “the artists and singers and the doers and dreamers” he has interviewed over the years, as well as the audience at home and his colleagues behind the scenes. He revealed he dedicated his show to his family: his mother, his siblings and his daughters. “That's what it's all about. It's about family.”
Tubridy’s final show came two days before his 50th birthday, which he has noted as one of the factors that led to him leaving the role.
“I will be turning the big 5-0 on Sunday so, it’s the perfect time to look ahead and welcome a new chapter,” he said ahead of the show. Tubridy took over as host of the long-running chat show in 2009, replacing Pat Kenny. He will continue to host his RTÉ Radio 1 show.
Figures released in February showed that Tubridy was RTÉ’s highest earner in 2020 and 2021, earning €440,000 in 2021, a drop from his 2020 total of €466,250.
Tubridy hands over the reins of Ireland’s longest-running chat show to Kielty, who will become its fourth presenter when the new season airs in September.
Kielty is an award-winning stand-up comedian from Co Down and has previous presenting experience with the likes of Last Chance Lottery for Channel 4 as well as his own BBC chat show, Patrick Kielty Almost Live. The father of two also has a radio talk show on BBC 5Live.
