Patrick Kielty has said he has received a good luck message from Ryan Tubridy as prepares to officially take the reins of The Late Late Show.
Kielty, who is from Co Down and lives in London, becomes the show's fourth presenter from tonight.
It follows the departure of former host Ryan Tubridy, who announced he was stepping down in March.
A scandal has since enveloped RTÉ surrounding secret payments made to Tubridy.
Kielty told Newstalk's Henry McKean he is excited to host the show for its 61st season.
"One of the things I promised myself at the start of this week was, 'You've got to enjoy this'," he said
"To be walking out here tonight, hosting a new version of this show - the biggest show on this island - if you can't enjoy that, and you do this as a job, then you shouldn't be here.
"So it's really exciting."
Patrick Kielty talks to Newstalk's Henry McKean on the set of 'The Late Late Show' in RTÉKielty said he has heard from some of the former hosts.
"I got a good luck message from Ryan [Tubridy] earlier in the week, I haven't managed to speak to Pat [Kenny] yet," he said.
"Every time I walk into the studio there's a huge 5x5 metre picture of Gay Byrne on the wall.
"I feel he sent me some messages; maybe that's just my head."
Kielty said the show has always been a part of his family.
"When you grow up on something and it's part of your family life, on a Friday night sitting down and watching that with the family, as you get older and you look back on happy memories that you had," he said.
"Watching that show with the family is a big, big thing; for a lot of people north of the border it was an escape and it was a window into normal life.
"I don't take any of that lightly," he added.
Hear more of Patrick Kielty's interview on Newstalk Breakfast from 7am.
