Late Late Show to feature tribute to Vicky Phelan

Vicky Phelan on the RTÉ The Late Late Show speaking with Ryan Tubridy. Picture: Andres Poveda

The Late Late Show on Friday is set to feature a special tribute to cervical cancer campaigner Vicky Phelan who passed away earlier this week at the age of 48.

The show will feature a special performance by her favourite band The Stunning.

In December of last year, Ms Phelan posted on social media that she had “made it” to The Stunning’s gig in Lisdoonvarna, Co Clare.

She said that listening to their music had made her remember "the real her".

“Two weeks ago, during my appearance on The Late Late Show I was absolutely feckin’ delighted to be serenaded (well maybe not serenaded) but sung to by my favourite band The Stunning.

I promised Steve Wall and Joe Wall that I would be in Lisdoonvarna on December 4 to watch them play in an intimate gig at the Royal Spa Hotel even if I had to go there in a wheelchair.

Ms Phelan said that she did not need a wheelchair on the night and that listening to their songs helped her to remember the “Vicky before cancer” who enjoyed going to gigs with friends.

The mother-of-two passed away peacefully in the early hours of Monday morning at Milford Hospice.

Ryan Tubridy described Vicky Phelan as being a "joyful, joyous person trapped in an unfair world".

Her family have said that her passing will leave a void in their lives "that is impossible to fill".

Funeral arrangements for the late Ms Phelan are strictly private with her family saying that there will be "an opportunity for people to pay their respects in due course".

Speaking on his radio show, broadcaster Ryan Tubridy paid tribute to Ms Phelan saying that "some people are too alive to die, and she was one of those people".

He described her as being a "joyful, joyous person trapped in an unfair world".

"Despite it all...Vicky Phelan was a lot of fun to be around.

"She was one of life's natural leaders. Whenever you met her or saw her on TV or radio, she had leadership written all over her.

I would argue that she was the best President that this country never had. In another life, in another world, she could have ended up going all the way."

Ms Phelan was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2014 but was given the all-clear after prolonged and intense treatment.

However, in 2018 she was informed that an audit carried out by CervicalCheck found that her 2011 smear test had been reported as a false negative.

Within weeks a CT scan revealed the cancer had returned. The diagnosis was terminal.

She went public with what had occurred, and her tremendous efforts sparked a debate on the treatment and care of cancer patients in Ireland.

Ms Phelan documented her journey through life in her award-winning bestselling book "Overcoming."

She made the decision to stop chemotherapy in November of 2021 in order to focus on making memories with her family.

She had previously travelled to the States for treatment in a bid to extend her life.