Daithí earns the plaudits despite fall in TV viewers
However, RTÉ bosses will not be quite as pleased after viewership levels for the annual festival fell by 43,000 compared to last year, although the numbers were up on the 2008 figures.
Despite the plaudits new host Daithí O Sé received for his debut performance as the first Kerry man host, the number of viewers was down on last year’s broadcast on his first night in charge.
While figures for last night’s programme will not be available until later today, RTÉ confirmed that a total of 705,000 people watched the Monday night show at the 9.30pm check.
The viewership level, which represents a 46% share of the market, is down by 43,000 on the 2009 event when 748,000 people (53% share) tuned in.
An RTÉ spokesperson claimed the reason for the drop was because last year’s contest was the 50th anniversary of the show, meaning it automatically had higher audience figures.
The broadcaster added that as the 2009 event was shown on Tuesday and Wednesday night instead of the usual Monday and Tuesday schedule, it was more accurate to compare this year’s viewership levels to 2008.
Under this calculation, 65,000 more people watched this year’s event compared to 2008, with audience figures rising from 640,000 (42% share) to 705,000 (46% share).
Mr O Sé is still the bookmaker’s favourite to be brushing down his tuxedo in 12 months’ time, with Paddy Power offering odds of 4/5 that the Dingle native will be presenting the show for the next two years.
Since the festival kicked off over the weekend, between €6 million to €8m is believed to have been pumped into the local Tralee economy as hotels, restaurants and nearby businesses became packed with up to 100,000 national and international tourists.
In excess of €70,000 in bets has also been placed at bookmakers, with gamblers attempting to predict who the judges will feel lived up to the 19th century William Mulchinock song The Rose of Tralee, which spoke of a woman with more qualities than her “beauty alone”.
Among last night’s Rose hopefuls on stage were Kerry’s Veronica Hunt and Cork’s Laura Mitchell.
A confused Daithí noted that Ms Hunt was from Youghal in Cork and “supported by Cork people”, after earlier telling Ms Mitchell, “I feel I should be marking you”.
The jovial presenter also took time out to ask Down Rose Gemma Murphy’s fans to “make up your mind” after they waved banners saying “Up Down”.
An awkward moment had earlier threatened to push Daithí’s cheeky persona over the edge when Texas Rose Adrienne Hussey explained the Irish-US language barrier caused confusion when one hopeful asked to borrow her hair “tong”.
However, the presenter’s previous career brought the charm back to centre stage as London Rose Clare Kambamettu explained the last time she met the host was when she was a schoolgirl and he was a teacher in the Kildare village of Athy.
“I was Mr O Sé with the crazy jumpers. Now I’ve got a crazy tuxedo,” he said.
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