Late Late New Year Special: Maverick Sabre, Niamh Kavanagh and ...
RTÉ’s Late Late Show is ringing in the New Year tonight with the beloved An Irish Goodbye’s James Martin and a host of Irish faces from music and comedy.
The Oscar-winning Martin, 31, has become one of the island of Ireland’s most well-known faces in recent months and has just been named on the British New Year’s Honours list and has been appointed MBE for his services to drama in Northern Ireland.
Host Patrick Kielty, meanwhile, will be busy offering up a comedic, celebratory flavour to welcome 2024.
With a selection of Irish musicians and Scottish singer Midge Ure, who enjoyed chart success in the ‘80s, taking to the stage, audiences will be entertained right into 2024.
Camogie star and broadcaster Anna Geary will showcase her presenting talent, as she greets the audience from the Dublin Castle New Year’s Eve Countdown Concert, featuring Picture This.
Among the guests lined up tonight are Irish artist Maverick Sabre, American band Wheatus, who released Teenage Dirtbag in the year 2000, Irish singers Niamh Kavanagh and Allie Sherlock and comedian Gearóid Farrelly, among others.
Singer Allie Sherlock will perform tonight. Photo: RTÉ.
And there are certain to be a few surprises lined up for those who are opting for the box rather than a night out.
Dressed in a royal blue suit and navy tie, Kielty is looking dapper for this show, which will also mark a new year for the broadcaster after a challenging 2023.
Kielty told the Sunday World ahead of the show: “We have a good show. Lots of bands from home and abroad. We have American acts, UK ones and Irish acts.
“It will be very much like how New Year’s Eve generally is for me - which is starting too early, trying to hang on and trying not to fall over by 12 o’clock, so let’s see what way that shapes up.”
Wheatus will also perform tonight. Photo: RTÉ.
The Co Down host has been spending time between Dublin, London and Northern Ireland since taking the Late Late Show hot seat in September.
Meanwhile his wife, Cat Deeley, has just landed a new show in the US but he plans for her to finally come to see him present the Late Late, when she’s settled into her new role.
But despite the power behind their coupling, Kielty stated he would not be presenting with his wife and that personal lives were better kept separate from professional ones.
Kielty said his dream guests for the Late Late are Billy Connolly and PSG star Kylian Mbappé.
“I have got one comedy hero,” he said. “And that is Billy Connolly, but I don’t think Billy is doing much these days.”
Connolly told recently how his life had changed radically since he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease 10 years ago.
Kielty has vowed there will be a party atmosphere on the show tonight and there’s only one way to find out if it’ll go off with a bang. Tune in on RTÉ One or RTÉ Player at 10.15pm tonight.
