Nine heartwarming moments from the Late Late Toy Show we're still talking about
Patrick Kielty dressed as the Grinch pictured during the opening of The Late Late Toy Show 2025. Picture: Andres Poveda.
Kettles were flicked on, Christmas sweets were opened, and the mince pies broke out of the cupboard on Friday night as people settled in for the most magical event on the Irish calendar - the
Families across the country and Irish diaspora across the globe donned their favourite festive pyjamas and cosied up on the sofa for what was a night of celebrating the true meaning of Christmas.
Host Patrick Kielty channelled his inner Grinch as he took on the role of the grumpy creature, attempting to steal the joy of Christmas from the Whos of Whoville.
The opening of this year's red extravaganza was narrated by none other than actor Liam Neeson, who recorded a special voiceover for the show, telling the story of The Grinch.
Appearing in the opening scene was Kielty, donned in his green Grinch rig-out, alongside some of the children selected to perform on this yearâs show, as they made their journey to the set of Whoville.
Kielty crash-landed into a Christmas tree in the studio, before switching on the festive lights to get the party started as performers broke into a special mashup of Christmas classics and
Welcoming the 200 audience members and those tuning in from all over the world to Whoville, Kielty acknowledged the amazing kids on hand to help save Christmas.
Max the dog, aka Tom, informed viewers that the show was available in Irish Sign Language (ISL), with presenters Sarah-Jane O'Regan and Jason Maguire working alongside hearing interpreters Ciara Grant and Lisa Harvey-Coleman to make the show accessible to deaf children in their first language.
And for the first time, audio description was available live on RTĂ One during broadcast by audio describers Clara Murray and Berni Stack.
The followed the story of the Grinch, aka Patrick Kielty, whose plans to pilfer the townâs festive decorations and presents are challenged when he meets the kindhearted Cindy Lou Who.
Hearts across the globe grew three times in size as they witnessed the Grinch embrace the true meaning of the holiday spirit and become a beloved member of Whoville, the fantastical town which originated from the mind of Dr Seuss.
Production designers managed to transport us directly into the fictional town with a magical set featuring quirky architecture, vibrant colours and a bustling town square at the heart of all the action.
It was the more than 300 children from across the country showcasing their talents, stories and infectious joy who really stole the show.
This yearâs eager toy testers showed us some of their favourites, and it was the first toy tester of the night, Declan, 6, from Cork, who stole peopleâs hearts with his keen interest in all things dinosaurs and golf.
Declan enthusiastically showed Kielty his Jurassic Park and How to Train Your Dragon toys, asking Kielty to give him a hand with showing off the toys.
Declan, a big fan of golfers Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy, was surprised with a special message from Lowry, who told him that his love for the game will take him a long way and invited him to spend the day with him on the course of the Irish Open.
Friends Dylan and Keelan showed off their vocal skills while showing us some of their favourite toys.
Keelan spoke about how much he loves Scottish singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi, telling Kielty how he has inspired him by opening up about his Tourette's Syndrome.
Both Keelan and Dylan were brought to tears by a special recording sent to them by Capaldi, who invited them both to his Irish show in Marlay Park next summer.
The surprises for the best friends didnât end there, with Corkâs own Roy Keane taking time out of his busy schedule to appear on the show.
Being the great sports that they are, the boys also took on the important job of winning some toys from the âTower of Toysâ for sick children watching the from hospital.
Twins Tara and Aoife from Cork showed Kielty their favourite toys, which included Sylvanian Families and Clutching at Straws, and spoke about their love of camogie and their pride in their parish, singing a verse of Kingfishrâs
Other toy testers included Shay, who showed us the popular Labubus; gamer Niall, who showed us Minecraft and the Switch; Nyla, who donned her stethoscope while caring for her stuffed animals and dolls; and dancers George and Ophelia, who showed off their signature moves.
A special performance of Kingfishrâs song which was adopted as the unofficial anthem of Cork GAA this summer, was performed by some of the talented singers and musicians selected for the show.
To their shock and delight, they were joined on set by Kingfishr, who performed alongside them.
The band generously gave the performers 75 tickets for their Malahide gig next summer.
Professional footballer Conor Bradley from Tyrone, who plays as a right-back for Premier League club Liverpool and captains the Northern Ireland national team, made an appearance via video message on the show.
Bradley surprised Liverpool superfan Layla, whose wealth of football knowledge impressed us all, with an invitation to Anfield Stadium on January 1, and the opportunity to walk out onto the pitch as the teamâs mascot.
The much-loved book section of the show also returned this year, with Bonnie, Jake and Aryan sharing with us their favourite picks.
Bonnie spoke about the series, all about Coco Chanel, whom Bonnie said she loves because she was "so different", highlighting how important it is for everyone to just be themselves.
Jake reviewed and , and Aryan, dressed as a pilot, reviewed and showed us his Irish dancing skills.
Fresh from their bus journey to the studio, the Virgin Mary Girls' School choir left hairs standing on our arms with their performance of CMATâs
Choir member Ruby said they were âextremely excitedâ to be performing for the studio audience and those watching at home.
Surprising the girls, CMAT made an appearance on set after travelling from her sold-out 3Arena gig, especially to meet the girls.
âThat was the most beautiful thing Iâve ever heard in my life,â she told them.
Inspired by the late Saoirse Ruane, the Toy Show Appeal, which sees people give generously to help charities and families across the country each year, kicked off with a donation of âŹ100,000 from Tesco Ireland.
Midway through the show, a shocked and grateful Kielty announced that âŹ3.4 million had been raised.
It was CMAT who announced at the end of the show that more than âŹ4 million was raised in total on Friday night, and people can still donate.
Closing out the show, Kielty said: âFrom all of us at the we wish you a good night. May your Christmas be merry and cheerful and bright.âÂ
Thereâs no question that after the excitement of the show and everybody had left the studio, Kielty took some time for what he said has become a tradition.
Speaking to the media at the set reveal this week, Kielty said: âThereâs something I do after the show thatâs always a bit of a moment for me, whenever we come off air. The set doesnât come out on the night; normally, a set would come out, but it doesnât.
âSo, everybody leaves, and thereâs just this lovely moment that I sneak back in and sit at the back and look at it and go, âWow, thatâs what happenedâ. So, thatâs a little ritual I do, which is after itâs all over to just take a wee second and go, âYou were part of thatâ, so itâs nice.âÂ
- The will be repeated on Sunday, December 7 at 3.10pm with audio description, and the is available to stream on the RTĂ Player following the live broadcast.
