PK@rte.ie (again). The All New (Patrick Kielty) Late Late Show Thread

I'm not sure I'd say he started off well, but I do remember in the early days of his LLS tenure, he tried to pick up the baton from Pat Kenny and make a passable attempt at being an actual journalist. It was a bad idea from the off. That Brian Cowen interview and a few others, really showed him up for the lightweight he is when it comes to serious current affairs coverage. Cowen toyed with Tubs and made him look like a schoolboy with dreams of a political career asking some "tough questions" of a former TD who's visited his school. It was embarrassing. Trying to take the moral high ground over Gerry Adams was another cringe behind the sofa moment. Ryan Tubridy, the boy prince of Montrose, sticking it to Gerry Adams, who then turned the tables on him by asking him about his own ancestor's IRA involvement! lolz

3 or 4 years in, we did begin to see a move away from the old LLS format and the beginning of the real Tubs era where things became far more sanitized, controversies were avoided and a noticeable focus on fluff content was chased. My reading on that would be that Tubridy himself did indeed understand his limitations and moved to change the show to accommodate those limitations. That in itself wouldn't be a cardinal sin. He had to try to do the job as best he could. The main problem for me was the huge focus that kicked off with promoting NKM clients, often to the detriment of other, far more worthy topics. Anyone who paid any attention to the Tubs era could see that there was a marked decline in interesting guests with interesting stories to tell, a long time strength of the traditional LLS. Instead there was a huge increase in advertising and sponsor promotion, NKM clients visibility and a perverse inclination to heavily lean into the famous misery slots that Tubridy believed would give him sainted status and contribute to high ratings figures in the absence of anything else that could be described as quality TV.

Would certainly agree about PK's natural curiosity. If nothing else, it usually leads to an individual who will be present and engaged in the world and will be able to speak from a position of knowledge and experience. That is always requirement No1 for any tv or radio host imo. If a person's job is to ask questions, why would you give that job to a person who isnt really interested in hearing answers.

I remember when TT were huge in the 1990s, and it was Mark that all the girls in my class wanted to date. Thirty years on, and he's definitely the one that the years have been least kind to (not that I can talk, the 40s haven't been kind to my appearance either...)

Tubridy was trying. He was stepping in to the LLS knowing it took effort. Pat Kenny was better with politics, for sure, but Tubridy was trying.

And then he got lazy. And as you pointed out, started to try and avoid anything that took effort, even if it caused controversy. (And Controversy often gets people to tune in.) But the controversies kept pouring in, without much effort.

There were dog crap episodes like the one where Amanda Brunker got botox (paid on your dime) and a musical guest was literally left sitting in the green room because the botox/ plastic surgery element went over time. And she had a new album out too. (Xpose, which was still airing, did botox every week, so why was this so important? Brunker was probably with NK at the time).

Then we had guests cancelling, and the absolute dross he made of an interview with the lass from Derry Girls, an interview that was cut short cos he screwed it up. And the controversies kept rolling in (singing Irelands call instead of the national anthem, and no Irish flags when celebrating the return of rugby. Is the national anthem and Irish flag that offensive now?) The Toy Show kept featuring less and less toys. But inflated Tubridy's ego. And the misery... jesus, did the misery POUR in... Tubridy just bathed in it.

Kielty addressed Ukraine and Gaza with one statement, in one show. If it was Tubridy, it would have been the entire season of shows. (Remember how he opened the show one time telling us all about the people who had died from Covid that week or month? Then followed it up with an interview with a player who was talking about suicide. Misery upon Misery)

I've looked crap since I can remember, so I cannot judge. They were still getting ladies attention on the night. Many who are probably close to their children's age at this point.

Iz ze licky!

"The undisputed queen of Irish comedy."

Funny, that doesn't look like June Rodgers.

What is the accent? I love it.

Me too! Thank Jesus

If your new GF ever tells you she's going to a Joanne McNally show, walk away.

'Late getting into comedy'?

You never arrived love

My ears.....

A woman thing??! I’ve never once listened to their podcast and have no desire to….I’m a woman :-D

Ah come on paddy ye were off to a good start the last few weeks, but this!!!??

Tell me when its ok to look!

Whose the horrendous shouty in pink ?

She has two. The same as any other human with all their limbs.