Four things we learned from Patrick Kielty’s second Late Late Show, from throuples to seating
Patrick Kiely with Late Late Show guests James Nesbitt, Vogue Williams and Baz Ashmawy
Last week Patrick Kielty opened the show with a trio comprised of Tommy Tiernan, Hector Ó hEochagáin and Laurita Blewitt, who co-host a podcast together and seem a natural choice to interview all at once. If you thought that three-part opener was a once-off, you would be mistaken. This week, Kielty called forth James Nesbitt, Vogue Williams, and Baz Ashmawy to sit together for the first chat of the night, with Ashmawy describing it as “a throuple”. It works for the likes of The Graham Norton Show but so far, it’s not an easy conversation format and instead, it feels like a way to squeeze in the same number of guests as before but on a tighter schedule — this season’s episodes are running at a streamlined 90ish minutes and can feel rushed at times.
Last week, we remarked on how many RTÉ personalities and recurring Late Late guests were being produced from the green room and this week. fared a little better for variety — though not much. Baz Ashmawy was undoubtedly plucked from the canteen: adverts for his new RTÉ quiz were played during the ad break. Elsewhere, we had some Late Late regulars including Vogue Williams, who last appeared on the chat show on May 20 — yes, just four months ago — and was here to plug her upcoming podcast tour with her husband, Spencer Matthews. A nice element, however, is Kielty’s personal touch with the audience. It’s the second week that he has squeezed himself between tiered seats to chat with an audience member and play a game to give one lucky person a holiday.
In feedback from Irish Examiner readers last week following Kielty’s first episode as host, many were critical of the seating arrangements on set. “The desk and guest chairs seem awkward,” Mary McManus said, while another reader named Carolyn said they should “please get rid of the teacher's desk”, saying it acts as a “barrier between interviewer and guests who were getting cricks in their necks”. Mary O’Halloran agreed, asking: “Would somebody move Patrick's desk to an angle on set?” It was most evident this week during Tony Holohan’s interview before the show’s close where, while recalling the tragic loss of his wife, he was twisted in his chair throughout to better face the host. It felt like it limited some flow of conversation and seemed to call for some creative camera angles to distract the viewer at home from the odd angles.
Kielty does not shy away from embracing his roots and his choice to platform guests from Northern Ireland is a breath of fresh air. This week’s guests from over the border were actor James Nesbitt and athlete Ciara Mageean. Some have criticised the prominence of guests from the North last week but the mixture of accents and experiences adds to the show and is an opportunity to give an often marginalised area a voice nationally. Irish Examiner reader Chris Hassett said he “liked the inclusion of our northern neighbours” while Brian McAlea enjoyed hearing more of the Irish accent: “I believe Patrick will be able to break down barriers in the South that we in the North are just as Irish as everyone else on this beautiful island.”
