The 50th anniversary of The Late Late Toy Show aired last night, with this years theme based on the the 1957 Dr. Seuss classic, The Grinch.
Speaking on The Anton Savage Show, entertainment correspondent for The Irish Independent, Melanie Finn said the night was “feel-good, festive fun."
Kielty opened the show dressed as the Grinch, with Liam Neeson providing the voiceover, a moment Finn said left the host “completely bowled over.”
There were also surprise appearances from celebrities including Lewis Capaldi and CMAT.
"The moment of the night"
One of the most talked-about segments featured two friends, Declan and Keelan, with Keelan explaining his tics and tourette’s on live television.
Finn described the moment as the highlight of the night, especially when Roy Keane joined them on stage:
“The courage it takes to go on something like that, knowing you're going to be watched by possibly upwards of one million viewers.”
Journalist Niamh O’Reilly called the boys “a more positive example of masculinity” and saying the scene was “the moment of the night.”
Patrick Kielty
Both guests praised Kielty’s calm hosting style.
“He’s happy to sit back and go, guys, this is your night," Finn said.
She added that his background as a live performer “really stands to him” when dealing with unpredictable moments, like a little girl announcing, mid-segment, “I just lost my tooth.”
Finn revealed that Kielty still gets nervous before the broadcast, telling her,
“The day you get comfortable in the Late Late Toy Show is the day you know you're going to die absolutely on your face.”
Patrick Kielty’s three-year stint as host of the Late Late Toy Show comes to a close next year, but he remains optimistic about the future.
He told reporters, “You just never know what’s around the corner for you in life,” leaving the possibility of a contract renewal open.
Irish Tourism Industry Confederation conference, 18-9-23. Image: Leon Farrell / Photocall IrelandFinn noted that the Toy Show remains a huge money-maker for RTÉ, with advertising packages costing up to €89,000 and overall commercial revenue estimated at close to half a million euro.
“It’s one of the few things we sit down as a nation and watch together,” she said.
O’Reilly believes the Toy Show’s original function, to inform parents about what’s on the market, has faded in previous years.
“My children are six and nine, Santa’s already working on what they want,” she joked.
But she said this year offered “a lot more focus on toys,” reminiscent of "Toy Shows gone by," under Gay Byrne and Pat Kenny.
