RTÉ has dropped Penneys as one of its main sponsors of The Late Late Show over allegations regarding where it sources its cotton.
A RTÉ Investigates programme reported on Thursday that the cotton used in many Penneys garments came from companies that used Chinese forced labour.
The programme outlined how at least 15 Bangladeshi factories that imported hundreds of tons of cotton fabric in 2024 from two companies linked to a Chinese forced labour programme are supplying some of Ireland’s major clothing retailers. The retailers include Penneys, Dunnes Stores, Marks & Spencer, and Tesco.
The RTÉ investigation by reporter Joe Galvin and producer/director John Cunningham found that the two Chinese companies, the Esquel Group and Jiangsu Lianfa Textiles, have long-established operations in Xinjiang, a region that grows up to 30 per cent of the world’s cotton and is home to a persecuted minority group called the Uyghurs.
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RTÉ confirmed it had raised the issue of the sourced cotton some months back. RTÉ sourced branded Late Late Toy Show pyjamas from Penneys but put this year’s order on hold because of the pending RTÉ Investigates programme.
In a statement RTÉ said the partnership was “paused” because the “Penneys ordering deadline for the Late Late Toy Show pyjamas coincided with the initial conversations with RTÉ Investigates”.
The partnership will be revisited for the 2026 RTÉ Late Late Toy Show.
RTÉ added: “RTÉ conducts due diligence on all commercial partners and keeps all commercial partnerships under review.
“Any new information relating to possible work practices or ethical or environmental issues relating to commercial partners will be reviewed by RTÉ. Where necessary, assurances will be sought by RTÉ.”
The partnership ran for a decade and included donations by Penneys to the RTÉ Toy Show Appeal. In 2024, the company donated €100,000.
Penneys told RTÉ Investigates that there is “no suggestion of any link between the [Toy Show] range and the questions raised in the programme”.
Penneys said it was “very proud” of the 10 years of the partnership, and that it “looked forward to revisiting the partnership next year”.
