It is becoming a trend: Claire Byrne has become the latest high-profile RTÉ star to publicly signal that she does not want to succeed Ryan Tubridy as host of The Late Late Show from next autumn.
The Radio 1 presenter, who stepped back from her RTÉ One current affairs show Claire Byrne Live only last year, posted a statement on Instagram distancing herself from the chatshow gig, for which she had been considered the front-runner.
“I’ve been honoured to have my name linked to The Late Late Show and to such a prestigious broadcasting role. The show is an iconic one which demands huge commitment from the presenter, as demonstrated so well by Ryan, Pat [Kenny] and Gay [Byrne],” she wrote.
“I have a young family, a busy home life and a full-time radio job that I love, and right now, that is enough for me. While I’d never rule out other TV projects, The Late Late Show should be presented by someone who can give it the time and dedication that it deserves.”
Byrne’s statement follows Miriam O’Callaghan’s move in March to end “flattering” speculation, saying that she loved her role as a broadcast journalist on Prime Time too much and was “not prepared to give that up for any show”.
[ Claire Byrne rules herself out of running to be next Late Late Show hostOpens in new window ]
With the highly respected Byrne regarded within Montrose as the favourite for the position, her decision to rule herself out of contention will have RTÉ bosses racing back to the drawing board and scrambling to find a replacement before the summer. The process to find a successor was not understood to be especially advanced as of recently and there is now not a lot of time left to seal a deal on this key hire.
Tubridy’s last show, the final edition in the current season, is scheduled to air on May 26th. Advertisers will be keen to know who is taking on the challenge of becoming the fourth permanent host of the Late Late before booking ads for next season. The new presenter will also need time to prepare for the demands of a two-hour live show that runs for 37 episodes a year and can veer from comedy to misery on a dime.
So who will it be? That the choice of host is not clear-cut points to a lack of succession planning on the part of RTÉ. But Paddy Power has made Sarah McInerney its new favourite and the bookmaker is unlikely to be alone in this. The Prime Time presenter, though a relative newbie to RTÉ, has impressed on the current affairs side, swiftly making an impact as a skilled interviewer and developing her on-air personality as co-host of Drivetime on Radio 1.
Closer to the light entertainment end of the spectrum is Jennifer Zamparelli, who has honed her easy-going style on her talky 2FM show and also has a sparkling television presence as co-host of Dancing with the Stars.
As of Thursday afternoon, Paddy Power had Caitríona Perry at odds of 100/1 for the Late Late, although the Six One anchor announced earlier in the day that she was leaving RTÉ to take up a new Washington DC-based role as a chief presenter on the BBC’s news channel.
Byrne’s exit from the contest increases the chances that a male host will be appointed. Brendan O’Connor has performed well on the weekend Radio 1 show that he inherited from Marian Finucane and also has chatshow experience on his CV that may prove difficult to overlook. Patrick Kielty, meanwhile, is one of the RTÉ “outsiders” whose name is continually mentioned in connection with the role.
Byrne and O’Callaghan are not the only RTÉ figures to announce they will not be candidates. In a tongue-in-cheek moment during an on-air interview with director general Dee Forbes in March, news veteran Bryan Dobson clarified he would not be vying for the hot seat, later joking at a charity event that this was “primarily because Friday night is bath night”.
The question now arising is not who will RTÉ choose to be the next Late Late Show host, but who even wants to do it?
