The Late Late Show will not air this Friday RTE bosses have confirmed.
The longest running chat show in the world will not air this evening and instead RTE have lined up the film, Michael Collins as a replacement.
Michael Collins tells the story of Irish Revolutionary Collins from his days in the Easter Rising, to the War of Independence and the Anglo-Irish Treaty and ultimately his assassination in his home county of Cork.
It stars Liam Neeson as Michael Collins, the late great Alan Rickman as Eamon De Valera and Julia Roberts as Collins’s love interest, Kitty Kiernan.
RTE bosses have previously called not airing the Late Late as a schedule “shake up”. The long-running chat show normally airs each Friday night on RTE One between September and May, but no episode aired on December 20 2024 and now no episode will air on January 3.
The December 20 cancellation was not the first time that the Late Late has taken a break in the middle of its usual schedule.
Speaking about the last unexpected break on 8 November 2024, host Patrick Kielty said: “We’re not here next week, but we’ll be back on Friday the 15th with the star of Gladiator II Paul Mescal,” Patrick told viewers during last week’s show.”
If you’re still in need of a chat show fix, the lineup for the Graham Norton Show has been announced. Joining Graham on the red couch this evening are Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson, Billy Porter, and Claudia Winkleman. With music from singer-songwriter Myles Smith, performing `Nice to Meet You’.
On RTE 2 at 21:40, part one of the hit Australian crime drama The Claremont Murders will air. The show is about the 25-year hunt for the killer behind the disappearance of several young women and stars Ryan Johnson.
The most recent episode of the Late Late was the New Year’s Eve special that left viewers divided.
Joining Patrick for the show were Olympians Sharlene Mawdsley, Mona McSharry and Orla Comerford, as well as actor and comedian Fred Cooke plus a plethora of musical guests including the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, The Undertones, Picture This, James Blunt and more over the night.
Some viewers loved the show while others found it hard to watch.
One said: “Loving the Patrick Kielty Jools Holland style New Year’s party. Really good”. Another agreed: “For the first time in memory, RTÉ finally has a decent New Year 2025.” A third fan simply said: “Great Late Late Show tonight. Happy New Year.”
Others were not so pleased with RTE’s new year’s offering. One posted: “As a Manchester United fan, I’m used to references to ‘a new low’ on a regular basis but nothing compares to this Late Late Show New Year’s Eve special. It’s utterly horrific. Makes me want to hope for the end of the world inside the next half hour.”
Another agreed: “I can not watch the Late Late Show anymore Patrick bores me stupid he isn’t a host he is so boring. It’s sad I grew up loving it but he has ruined it.”
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