Patrick Kielty extends Late Late contract, calling his tenure so far 'a joy and a privilege'
Patrick Kielty, host of the RTÉ The Late Late Show. Picture: Andres Poveda
Late Late Show host Patrick Kielty has extended his contract by two years, RTÉ confirmed today.
There had been speculation that the host would not return for further episodes as his original contract had ended at the end of the last season.
The new three-year deal allows for up to 30 shows per season.
“Hosting The Late Late Show is one of the greatest gigs in the world and the past three years have been a joy and a privilege,” Kielty said.
“The heart of the show will always be our amazing audience and I can’t wait to be part of their Friday nights again from this September.”
Kielty, from Dundrum, Co Down, joined the show in September 2023, succeeding Ryan Tubridy to become the show's fourth presenter.
Last season, the show welcomed guests like Jessie Buckley, Priscilla Presley, Colin Farrell, and Margot Robbie and had an average of 385,000 viewers per episode, with a 38.2% share and over 1.46 million streams on RTÉ Player, an increase on the previous year.
“I am absolutely delighted that Patrick will remain at the helm of The Late Late for a further three years,” said Alan Tyler, RTÉ Group Head of Entertainment and Music.
“Under his stewardship we have been able to give a new lease of life to the show, reaching audiences on both traditional and new platforms.”
The Late Late Show returns this autumn on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player on Fridays at 9.35pm.
