Ryan Tubridy to step down from Late Late role when season ends

What about Dustin? Must be his turn soon as he's in the same mould as Tubridy.

Having looked through that lineup, would Maia Dunphy be a contender??

Angela Scanlon would be good, at least she's quick witted and easy going

For some reason RTE have banished Dustin he is very rarely on now. During the pandemic someone had the great idea to bring back the Den for the first Christmas of Covid, it was a huge success and was brilliant relief from all the Covid stuff. In 2021 despite massive public appeals and even a media campaign to return it for Christmas 2021 RTE point blank refused, that tells you alot about the organisation now. I think they don't like Dustin because he takes no prisoners and everyone is fair game including the big and not so big RTE people

Are ye joking? Have you listened at all to so called Ballsy in the past couple of years?? His incessant navel gazing and emphasise on the nations mental health would drive all the viewers to the drink. His show is as limp as the mickey of an old farmer.

Agree 100%. The one time he did the LLS was pretty good and he’s the only one I’ve seen since gaybo who actually seemed at home in the show too. Yes he should have gotten it but maybe his demons thwarted him. I’m sure the orders that be at the tune knew the score and I don’t think he’d have been able to carry it in subsequent years.

Really the key to the hosting thing is not to make it be so... vocational. There's this idea maybe that the host has to do at least ten years of the LLS.

Maybe the net is widened, and show seems more fluid, if the next format and host are able to change up or feel like they can change up every few years.

Deirdre O’Kane would be a great watch I think. she might take the show in a lighter direction which wouldn’t be bad. Not sure about her chops with the serious issues but she seems genuine and would probably ask the man in the street kinds of questions which wouldn’t be too bad. Seeing political leaders interviewed on the LLS kinda puts me off anyway. Mostly softball stuff with a free token ‘hard’ questions thrown in to make the just look hard but which really the interviewee is well able to skirt around or the answer is prepared in advance anyway and the questions are probably vetted. I wouldn’t be surprised by that.

As there is no obvious successor in place it's clear RTE are reacting here to some outside force - probably advertisers looking to walk or at a minimum looking for reduced fees for falling viewership. I'm not buying the line that tubridy decided to go all on his own, given that he was seemingly looking forward to many more years in the hot seat a few weeks ago either.

Of all the names mentioned, I think the most likely to succeed if the show retains its current format is Claire Byrne, despite her own show getting canned - probably because it turned into an embarrassment (not buying that she decided to give that up either).

A left-field option is a co hosting arrangement, however that would leave them with one less guest to invite on. Might also be too radical.

In any case, the successor will inherit a poisoned chalice and is likely to be the last host of the show. There is no one brave enough to make it must watch TV again.

I don’t know. CB is a very bad choice. I’ve been listening to her morning Sue for the past 2-3 years and after all that time I can’t really say I have a sense of the woman. She is in her land with the political and current affairs pieces but she lacks any depth of personality outside of that. My main takeaway from the cultural or more fun pieces on the site is her shutting down any craic or just displaying a lack of knowledge of things even other Pele her age would know about.

She vibes across like the swot at school who was buried in the books and didn’t get involved in other activities because they were hell bent on being an accountant. Now they’ve achieved their goal and are good at what they do but you wouldn’t invite them out for a pint and even if you did they probably wouldn’t come anyway because you wouldn’t be having a weighty enough conversation.

ive wondered in the past because she must have some personality but is it that she just can’t get it across in air or is just afraid to let her guard down? This isn’t the person we need every Friday night. I think she would really be an awful choice and I can’t see too baby sticking around after the initial novelty wears off. If Tubbs couldn’t do serious subjects, she’s the opposite. I just couldn’t see her naturally having the craic with comedians or bands. God knows how she’d manage the toy show!

Yeah but it’ll turn into an extension of her radio show. Good on current affairs but very bland otherwise. I’m all for listening to analysis of current issues every weekday morning but Friday night, forget it.

I know fuel is gone expensive but that's stretching it 🙂

Please god NOOOO! I liked G Ryan but the west thing he ever did was give these two a platform. They’re equally awful.

Is it possible that Graham Norton might be interested? Other than Graham I saw Sean Moncrieff as a possible. I'd say he'd be very good.