As the search for the next Late Late Show host continues, Pat Kenny recalls all the Friday nights, the Toy Shows, and the elephant rides.  

Sarah McInerney and Claire Byrne have officially taken themselves out of the running to be Ryan Tubridy's replacement on the Late Late Show. 

Patrick Kielty, Baz Ashmawy and Kathryn Thomas are the bidders’ favourites for the next host – but what does it take to host the show? 

Former Late Late host and current Newstalk presenter Pat Kenny told The Anton Savage Show the RTÉ show is an “extravaganza”. 

“A good Late Late Show should be like a great Irish dinner party,” he said.  

“Somebody should get drunk, there should be a row, a few songs, jokes, no giveaways necessarily, but that’s what it should be.” 

Family life 

Pat explained the “burden of expectation was huge” when Gay Byrne stepped down as host.  

“I knew I could do a format that would entertain,” he said. “But that Gaybo would be in the studio for a few years.” 

Pat said eventually you begin to “take it in your stride” - but a future host should consider the impact the commitment has on family. 

"If you have a partner at home, it alleviates the burden,” he said. “[But] for 10 years on a Friday night, I was gone.” 

“You've got to be there, no matter what’s happening domestically,” he said. “No matter what else is happening in your life.” 

Memories of the show 

Pat said he has “great memories of the show” - particularly riding on an elephant during The Late Late Toy Show.  

“You count your Late Late Show years in toy shows,” he said. “Riding in on the back of an elephant when my father was an elephant keeper for years and his father before him, it’s a memory I'll cherish.” 

Hosting the show is “the best fun you can have in broadcast”, according to Pat – but it’s likely more challenging now than when Pat hosted the show himself. 

While still rated as one of Ireland’s highest rated TV shows, The Late Late Show has dropped in viewership over the years, averaging 550,000 viewers after Ryan Turbridy announced he was stepping down as host.  

Despite that, Pat said the show is far too valuable to RTÉ for them to scrap it – so the challenge is to improve it.  

“You've got to create moments yourself in your own production that are must-see moments,” he said.  

“Of course, we can see them tomorrow on YouTube, but to be watching it as it happens, you'll want to see it live next time.” 

You can listen back here: