Patrick Kielty will remain host of The Late Late Show until at least 2029 after agreeing a new three-year contract with RTÉ.
The broadcaster confirmed today that Kielty has signed a new deal to continue presenting Ireland’s longest-running chat show, with the agreement covering up to 30 programmes each season.
The Co Down presenter, who took over from Ryan Tubridy in 2023, will return to front the programme’s 66th season when it resumes in September.
Last season, The Late Late Show attracted an average audience of 385,000 viewers per episode, achieving a 38.2 per cent audience share. The programme was also streamed more than 1.46 million times on RTÉ Player, while its social media channels recorded 6.8 million engagements and almost 89 million video views.
Speaking after the announcement, Kielty said he was looking forward to returning to viewers’ screens later this year.
“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.
“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, has enjoyed a career spanning television, radio, stand-up comedy and film. Before taking over The Late Late Show, he was widely known for his stand-up work and presenting roles in both Ireland and the UK.
His documentary My Dad, The Peace Deal and Me earned him UK Documentary Host of the Year at the 2018 Grierson Awards, while his more recent documentary Patrick Kielty: 100 Years of Union won an RTS Award. In 2023, he also made his feature film debut in Ballywalter, starring alongside Seána Kerslake.
RTÉ Director of Video Steve Carson said Kielty had made the programme “truly his own” and pointed to strong television, streaming and social media figures during his time as host.
RTÉ Group Head of Entertainment and Music Alan Tyler said the presenter had helped give the programme “a new lease of life”, adding that the broadcaster was looking forward to developing the show further over the coming seasons.
The new season of The Late Late Show will return to RTÉ One in September, with Kielty also set to host this year’s Late Late Toy Show.