Overview
- RTÉ confirmed on Tuesday that Patrick Kielty has signed a three-year deal to continue as presenter, with contracts running through at least 2028 and provision for up to 30 shows per season.
- The broadcaster announced the show will return in autumn 2026 on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player with a Friday 9:35pm slot and plans to preserve flagship events such as the Late Late Toy Show.
- RTÉ cited the 2025/26 season’s performance—an average of 385,000 viewers per episode, a 38.2% share and more than 1.46 million RTÉ Player streams—as a key reason for the renewal.
- Executives praised Kielty’s warm interview style and rising social engagement, noting the programme logged 6.8 million social engagements and 88.7 million video views last season as evidence of renewed audience reach.
- The deal signals continuity for Ireland’s longest-running live chat show, stabilising the presenter role after 2023 succession and keeping a national cultural fixture in place while RTÉ pursues wider digital growth.