The Late Late Toy Show Explained

Country:Ireland
Language:English
Location:RTÉ Studio 4, Donnybrook, Dublin 4, Ireland
Network:RTÉ One
Last Aired:present
Related:The Late Late Show

The Late Late Toy Show is an annual, special edition of the Irish chat show The Late Late Show. Airing annually on RTÉ One near the end of November or early December to coincide with the holiday shopping season, the Toy Show showcases the popular toys of the year, as presented by the host and demonstrated by various children on-stage, along with appearances by celebrity guests.

Since its first presentation in 1975, the Toy Show has become a cultural institution in Ireland; it is often the most-watched programme of the year on Irish television (and its overall viewership has increased steadily in recent years), and being featured on the Toy Show has been said to have a major boost to sales of a product heading into the Christmas season.[1] Commercial time during the Toy Show is also prestigious for advertisers; in 2009, a 30-second spot cost €17,000; in comparison, a 30-second spot during the 2010 UEFA Champions League Final cost €9,750. Tickets to its taping are also difficult to come by; in one year, a single ticket was auctioned for €1,500.[2] [3]

Most recently presented by Ryan Tubridy, the show has previously been presented by Gay Byrne and Pat Kenny during their tenures at the helm. Dustin the Turkey, a high-profile entertainment figure in Ireland, made an annual appearance, usually bringing a gift for the presenter. These gifts when produced tended to have a comedy effect and in the past have included a miniature antique chair and a Pat Kenny clock, ominously presented to Kenny's predecessor Byrne.[4] Patrick Kielty currently presents the show following his appointment as host in 2023.

Jumper

The Toy Show jumper attracts as much attention as the show itself, with viewers sending in their own versions to RTÉ ahead of the night in the hope that the presenter might wear them. Gay Byrne habitually wore a Christmas jumper each year. He also wore the jumper for People in Need Telethon, but Pat Kenny tended to wear a "naff" grey jumper when he was host.[5] Ryan Tubridy also spoke in favour of the jumper when he took the helm. Byrne was noted for his "Bing Crosby sweater".[6]

Some of the sweaters we got in this year are so bad, the people who knitted them should be put on trial in The Hague for crimes against Christmas.
Ryan Tubridy expressed his distaste for the selection of jumpers he received from fans in 2011.Audience members also appear in Christmas wear such as hats, antlers and even jumpers.

History

In 1974, Pan Collins a senior researcher and script editor on The Late Late Show pitched the idea of a segment about children's toys to presenter Gay Byrne. Byrne initially turned down the idea but Collins turned to Byrne's assistant Maura Connolly who convinced him to go ahead with it.The first toy segment was to run for a half hour at the end of the programme on 7 December 7, 1974.[7] After the segment achieved high ratings, it was brought back the year after as full special and aired on 13 December 1975. Since then 1976 has been the only year that the Toy Show did not take place as the Late Late team were working on a birthday tribute to Maureen Potter.[8]

In 1994, it was broadcast on 9 December and attracted an audience so high that it did not come close again until the 2010 edition.[9]

In 1997, Dustin presented Gay Byrne with a miniature antique chair during the veteran presenter's penultimate Toy Show. The stunt alluded to a controversy that occurred when the winner of an antiques restoration competition run by the show claimed credit for a chair which had been worked on by another person.[10]

Among the show's other memorable moments over the years are Junior Culchie of the Year Mark McSharry from County Cavan in his mini-motorised toy tractor, the little girl who said she did not like Justin Bieber "'cus he's so full of himself", Pat Kenny mispronouncing Jerry "Seinfield"'s name before presenting him with his very own cheap Superman toy, and - what is considered "the ultimate Toy Show moment" by many and "possibly the ultimate moment of all time", voted the number 1 moment in an RTÉ Player poll in 2014[11] -little John Joe Brennan's dissection of the collected works of Roald Dahl—"I find him very poetic" and "for children fantasy always comes first." And his ambition to be a horologist.[12]

2000s

2003 edition

The 2003 Toy Show was broadcast on 28 November 2003. Amongst the highlights of the programme included girl group Girls Aloud surprising a young fan who sang a rendition of their song "Jump" while demonstrating a karaoke CD player toy. Amongst other guest appearances included TV presenter Brian Ormond, and his daughter Chloe, the cast of Après Match, who demonstrated toys while portraying broadcasters Gerry Ryan, Marian Finucane, and Joe Duffy respectively, and that year's Eurovision singer Mickey Joe Harte, who performed his follow-up single "There Must be Love". Among the toy testers and performers included Evanna Lynch, who would later go onto star in the Harry Potter film franchise, and dancer Laura Nolan who would later go onto become a professional dancer on Dancing with the Stars

2005 edition

The 2005 Toy Show was broadcast on 2 December 2005, attracting 1.1 million viewers as the most watched programme on Irish television that year. It was also the most watched edition of The Late Late Show since Gay Byrne's final show in 1999.[13]

Irish comedian Dave McSavage, appeared in the opening segment of this Toy Show, playing a selfish scrooge.

2006 edition

2006 guests
George Galloway
Janette Byrne
Oliver stone
The 2006 Toy Show was broadcast on 1 December 2006. Six-year-old Millie (Philomena) Murray, who, along with her four-year-old brother Gavin Murray, had recently been burned out of her car in Limerick, left her hospital bed to make an appearance. She requested a doll to play with for the show. Her brother was too unwell to feature on the show after the incident that led to over twelve weeks of hospital treatment for the pair.[14] Pat Kenny was later criticised in a study by the Equality Authority for his hosting of the show, in which he persistently reinforced stereotypes of gender roles. An example was a human skull shown to ooze slime, of which the presenter uttered the comment "made for boys, I think".[15]

2007 edition

The 2007 Toy Show was broadcast on 30 November 2007, attracting over one million viewers[16] or seven-tenths of the available audience, making it the most watched television programme in Ireland at that time of 2007.[17] Broadcast over the traditional four parts, it contained a performance from James Blunt, the annual appearance of Dustin, book reviews and Miriam O'Shea who performed a rendition of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow".

The 2007 Toy Show also played host to an interview with comedian Jerry Seinfeld. Kenny expressed a lack of knowledge about his subject from the very beginning when he introduced him as "Jerry Seinfield". There was much uncomfortable chat on the topic of bees (Seinfeld was on the show to promote his new movie, Bee Movie) and Kenny then presented him with a cheap imitation of his favourite superhero, Superman. Seinfeld, who had previously lashed out at Larry King over his ignorance, remained tight-lipped and walked off without informing Kenny of his correct name.[18]

The 2007 Toy Show was opened by the soprano Oisín Nolan who ascended a hanging crescent moon as Kenny entered the studio fresh from his visit to Santa in Lapland. Roisin Seoighe (7) Conemara performed Sean Nos dancing wearing her trademark red dance shoes along with music played by the Castlemahon Buskers. She danced a reel and got a fantastic applause from the audience. The Castle Mahon Buskers came from Newcastle West, County Limerick, and have four members. Two bodhrán players performed, an accordion player and a spoons player. The show was closed by The Young Wexford Singers and Rowe Street Junior Choir.

Thus far, this was Dustin's last appearance on the Toy Show.

2008 edition

The 2008 Toy Show aired on 28 November 2008 and was Pat Kenny's tenth and final Toy Show.[21] It achieved a total audience of 1,199,000 to become the most viewed television programme across all channels available in Ireland since 2001. It was the fourth consecutive year that the show cleared the one million viewers mark, with 275,000 of those watching being children and almost 800,000 watchers being adults.[22]

The highlight was the opening, which first showed Kenny standing on a railing outside the RTÉ studios in Donnybrook putting an extra light bulb on to the lights. A boy, Anthony Malone from Tullamore, then switched on the lights which went all over the country. Anthony then picked up a present and passed it to the other kids in a pass the parcel like fashion, while a little girl (Lauren Norton) sang a rendition of Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas Is You. The show then proceeded to the main studio where kids dressed as elves and Santa's sang the song and passed the parcel to the audience who passed it on to Kenny who was standing at the top of the audience before the piece ended and he welcomed the audience.

Afterwards Dustin's absence from the Toy Show was noted when Kenny opened the parcel and said with a sigh of relief: "Thank goodness it's not Dustin!". It was an Elmo toy.

A young people's show on RTÉ Two called Ice had snuck a teddy bear into the set which was spotted on camera during a performance on the show.

The programme proved controversial, with controversy beginning to generate one week before broadcast, when the current value of tickets was questioned. When a competition winner refused two tickets to the show as her prize at the end of the 21 November edition of The Late Late Show, visibly infuriated presenter Pat Kenny tore them up live on air.[23] Kenny questioned why she had entered the competition if she had not wanted to attend the Toy Show (the tickets were just part of the prize; also on offer was €10,000). In the aftermath, the winner, identified as Barbara Heavey from Cork, explained to a newspaper that she had entered the competition "out of boredom", had "no interest in watching children play with toys for two hours" and had no children of her own. She did not see the actual tearing of the tickets as she had turned off the television "to prevent an echo on the line" and attempted to suggest that they either be raffled or donated to someone else only to be drowned out by Kenny and his audience's vocal disbelief.[24] Despite numerous attempts by RTÉ to have her attend, she said she would be "bored stiff", wasn't interested in toys and, if she had to attend the show, would probably "set off the smoke alarms by chain-smoking in the toilets".[25] Kenny did not let the matter rest however, opening his morning radio show the following Monday with a five-minute chat to his listeners in which he implied that the torn-up tickets were of more value than All Ireland final and Munster v. All Blacks tickets.[26] Within minutes footage was uploaded onto the video hosting website YouTube, with spoofs of the incident also created.[27] [28] and Heavey was congratulated in numerous national newspapers.[29]

Two and a half hours before the 2008 Toy Show got underway Kenny appeared on Aidan Power's The Cafe with alter-ego Oliver Callan. (19:00). Kenny revealed McFly would perform, the only guest he was willing to reveal to Power. Power then mimicked the torn ticket incident by teasing Kenny with two tickets before plucking them from his grasp and tearing them into pieces, after which Kenny engaged in some turkey dialogue with the rest of The Cafe.[30] In an announcement aired before the Nine O'Clock News, Kenny let slip that Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May from Top Gear would appear. During the show, Kenny once again referenced the ticket fiasco when, whilst promoting another competition with a prize of a car and €10,000, he said he would "tear up" the vehicle if the winner refused to take it. Nicky Byrne from Westlife appeared with his twin sons Rocco and Jay and met 10-year-old Shauna Byrne, a fan of his who was battling cystic fibrosis at the time but later died on 30 January 2009.[31] Sarah Ferguson was present for the annual children's book section, where she listened to some of the children speak the Irish language. McFly, in their second Toy Show appearance, performed "Do Ya" from their Radioactive album. The closing act was RTÉ Cór na nÓg, singing "Jingle Bells".[32]

2009 edition

The 2009 Toy Show aired on 27 November 2009 and was Ryan Tubridy's first Toy Show. The presenter suggested prior to the show that there was uncertainty over whether he would wear the jumper traditionally worn each year.[36] He wore a maroon jumper on the night.[37] Tubridy's daughter Ella attended the show.[38] The 2009 theme was The Wizard of Oz, with a yellow brick road being especially constructed for the occasion.[37] The first child Tubridy interviewed was 6 year old Róisín from Wicklow.

Elles Divas, three schoolgirls from County Offaly, performed "Don't Stop Me Now" during the first part of the show.[39] At one point Tubridy was asked to attempt to moonwalk by two children, responding in a joking manner: "You didn't do this in rehearsals, lads".[37]

Jedward, wearing glistening bronze suits on their first appearance on Irish television,[40] caused controversy when John swore live on air after tearing his trousers whilst performing a sequence of acrobatic movements around the set. He used the words, "Oh shit. I ripped my pants".[41] Ten security guards were required to take care of the twins, who rose to fame on UK talent show The X Factor.[41] Thousands of females fans surrounded RTÉ's studios to catch a glimpse of the pair who spent time in the audience live on air.[42] Tubridy was later criticised by their manager Louis Walsh for giving them a "hard time".[43]

The programme attracted an average audience of 1.38 million viewers.[44] The jumper worn by Tubridy on his debut as host of The Late Late Toy Show was later auctioned for victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake on the radio programme Mooney.[45] The jumper raised €1,050.[46] That year's ad featured Tubridy going into a tailor store run by two children, who offered him different sweaters. Tubridy refused each one until they offered him a jacket which he gladly accepted unaware that the kids had plugged in a neon sign at the back.

2010s

2010 edition

Host Ryan Tubridy caused controversy after suggesting via Twitter that he may not wear the traditional jumper.[49] Tubridy made history when he became the first 'Late Late' host to sing on the show. He performed a song from Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory in the opening piece of the show. The 2010 Toy Show attracted an average of 1.4 million viewers, the highest audience in 16 years. Speaking about the show, presenter Tubridy said "At the end of a very difficult week in Ireland, I think the country needed a smile, a laugh and a big hug and I think that's what we did on Friday." The show also attracted 46,500 streams on RTÉ Player, up almost 120% on the figures achieved for the 2009 show.[50] The same commercial used in the previous year's edition returned this time with Ryan accepting a sweater from the two kids (who returned for this commercial). However the kids put on 3D glasses showing a 3D effect that they could see so when Ryan asked why they are wearing them, they substituted it with the fact that they were going to a 3D movie. This edition also marked the debut of the band The Strypes who were aged between 12 and 14 at the time.

2011 edition

Following on from the previous year's Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory theme, 2011 had a Toy Story theme.[51] [52] [53] [54]

It was broadcast on 2 December 2011. The jumper worn by Ryan Tubridy was donated to the fund for artist Alexandra Trotsenko on Liveline.[51] Tubridy entered the show disguised as pull-string cowboy Woody,[55] [56] [57] alongside Toy Show performer Evan O'Hanlon, who stars in Moone Boy, as Buzz Lightyear.

The Late Late Toy Show was the most watched show in 17 years and of 2011, with the following Enda Kenny's Address to the nation in second place and the Eurovision Song Contest in third place.[58] [59] Tubridy later admitted that he had to apologise to a lady in the audience whom he had hit with a soiled nappy tossed carelessly aside during one of the toy demonstrations.[60] Performer on the Toy Show, Ashley Tubridy, later appeared on The Late Late Show in January 2012, performing a new edition to her song "Friends Forever".

2012 edition

The 2012 edition, with a Shrek theme (though a TV commercial airing all week in advance falsely implied an Indiana Jones theme), took place on 30 November.[61] It was host Ryan Tubridy's fourth Toy Show.[62] As showtime approached there was much talk of "reasonably priced toys" and the host's choice of jumper—"There won't be any penguins or snowmen or figures on the jumper. I would describe this sweater as gruesome, nasty and grotesque, but only from a sartorial point of view." [Tubridy "joke"][63] There was also a scam involving fake tickets.[64] [65] The children appearing included eight Irish dancers known as Damhsa Juniors and two kids from Naas performing English pop singer's Labrinth's song "Express Yourself", with a group singing "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" as the show finale.[66] [67] Other features to look forward to included a special appearance by The X Factor finalists Union J, Aston and Kayleigh from RTÉ documentary Apartment Kids championing toys for small spaces, a remote-controlled James Bond car and a PlayStation game written by J. K. Rowling.[68] The highlight moment of the show happened when young Alex Meehan on a pedal powered tractor came out before spontaneously speaking Irish to Ryan Tubridy. When Tubridy responded by asking him "any craic" Alex answered "Níl" before pedalling off the stage.[69] [70]

2013 edition

The 2013 edition took place on 29 November. The show was streamed on RTÉ.ie live worldwide, anyone anywhere in the world could watch the show as it was not geo-blocked. 40,000 applications for tickets were received with only around 200 available.[71] The show had a Mary Poppins theme, with Ryan Tubridy opening the show dressed as chimney sweep Bert and then tore off the costume to reveal his Christmas jumper.[72] [73] The 2013 toy show featured a record breaking 237 toys. Over 231 performers and demonstrators took to the stage, with 34 of them performing a special opening number from Mary Poppins. The opening song on the show was Chim Chim Cher-ee and featured Ryan Tubridy dancing.[74] [75] [76] In advance, a week before the show, Tubridy received a letter from a young boy from County Cavan named Fergal Smith, who begged to co-host the show with him. Tubridy at first rejected the letter but that same week, he changed his mind and called him live on air and agreed to let him host. Fergal later appeared on the show wearing a similar jumper and also helped Tubridy to introduce youngsters who demonstrated ride on toys.A rival version of the toy show was shown on TV3 on the same day at the earlier times of 10.00am and 8:00pm called Showpal Christmas Toys, the 30-minute programme was presented by Alan Hughes.[77] [78] Robbie Keane was a guest on the show when he surprised a young fan whilst he was playing a game of FIFA 14.[79] [80] Bosco also made an appearance on the show.[81] [82] Domhnall, the young Irish football fan who met Robbie Keane later appeared on The Late Late Show, a week later where he got the surprise of being a mascot for the team for their international friendly against Serbia in March 2014. The 2013 show was the most-watched programme on RTÉ in 2013 and had the highest number of viewers in 10 years. It was watched by 1,547,000 viewers.[83] A Trailer for the movie, was shown on YouTube featuring the movie's main character, fictional anchorman Ron Burgundy, doing a report about the show.[84]

2014 edition

The 2014 Toy Show took place on 28 November 2014.[85] It was Ryan Tubridy's 6th show. On the 31 October Episode, Tubridy launched a campaign for people across the country to knit him a Christmas jumper to wear on the 2014 Toy Show. He wore four jumpers at different stages during the show. 120,000 people applied for audience tickets for the show with only 200 tickets being made available.[86] For the 2nd year running, TV3 showed a rival version of the toy show. This time called the Christmas Toy Show and shown a week before the actual Toy Show to avoid clashing with it. The show was streamed live worldwide on the RTÉ Player, where anyone anywhere in the world could watch the show as it was not geo-blocked.[87] [88] [89] The show had a Chitty Chitty Bang Bang theme.[90] [91] [92] The show featured a record number of children, 269 performers and toy testers. 200 toys were featured and more than 300 were used for the set design.[93] Ed Sheeran was a surprise guest on the show surprising a young girl who sang his song Lego House on SingStar. Also included was Danny O'Donoghue from The Script.[94] Each part opened with a musical or comedy performance.[95] The 2014 show was RTÉ's highest rated programme of 2014, with average ratings of 1,357,400 viewers.[96] [97] [98] The 2014 Toy Show was the most-watched programme on Irish television this century, with an average of 1.59 million viewers and a peak of 1.8 million.

2015 edition

The 2015 Toy Show took place on 27 November 2015. It was Ryan Tubridy's 7th show, the 40th Toy Show overall and therefore the Toy Show's 40th anniversary. RTÉ had been selling a premium package to advertisers for €57,500 that includes one 30-second spot in the Toy Show, one spot in the Sunday repeat and online adverts also.[99] For the 3rd year running, TV3 showed a rival version of the toy show. The show was presented by Maria Walsh and Brian Ormond. The show was called the TV3 Toy Show and was shown on 20 November, a week before the actual Toy Show to avoid clashing with it.[100] The 2015 Show took inspiration from the classic children's movie, Beauty and the Beast, with Ryan Tubridy dancing and singing on the opening musical performance of the show.A total of 285 children took part in the show with the opening performance alone featuring 82 children.[101] [102] The Toy Show was once again streamed live on the International RTÉ Player free around the world.[103] [104] [105] The show began with Ryan Tubridy singing and dancing to 'Be Our Guest' from Beauty and the Beast. David Walliams and Evelyn Cusack were guest stars during the show.[106] [107] [108] The Toy Show was RTÉ's most watched programme of 2015, with an average of 1.56 million viewers, beating the viewing figures from 2014.[109] [110] [111] [112]

2016 edition

The 2016 Toy Show took place on 2 December 2016, starting at 9.35pm and finishing just before 12.00am. It was Ryan Tubridy's 8th show, and the 41st Toy Show overall.[113] On 18 November a teaser trailer was released showing Ryan Tubridy lip syncing All I Want For Christmas in an X Factor-style singing contest.[114] A three-part documentary, The Late Late Toy Show Unwrapped, was also shown in the three days leading up to the show from Wednesday 30 November and followed the toy show performers through the auditions and preparations stages for the toy show, this was presented by Nicky Byrne[115] Over 125,000 people applied for tickets for the show. There were 200 seats available for the studio audience and tickets were allocated on a lottery basis. Advertisers paid €32,000 for a 30-second slot during the Show.[116] The Toy Show was streamed live on the International RTÉ Player free around the world.[117] [118] For the 4th year running, TV3 showed a rival version of the toy show. The show was presented by Lucy Kennedy and Dustin the Turkey. The show called the TV3 Toy Show was also shown on 2 December at 8pm and was 30 minutes long.[119] The theme this year was The Jungle Book.[120] 320 children from all over Ireland will be taking part in the show with 72 who will performing with Ryan Tubridy in the show's opening number.[121] [122] The show started with The Bare Necessities song which included singing and dancing from Ryan Tubridy in a Baloo costume.[123] [124] [125] During the show, Dermot Bannon from Room to Improve surprised an architectural fan, rugby player Jamie Heaslip presented a young fan with his signed Ireland jersey that he wore during the Autumn International win over Australia, and world number 2 ranked golfer Rory McIlroy presented a young golfing fan with signed versions of Rory McIlroy PGA Tour and tickets to the 2017 Irish Open.[126] [127] The Toy Show was RTÉ's most watched programme of 2016, with 1.4 million viewers watching the show from beginning to end, the highest since 2011. For those who tuned in for at least one minute of the show, the figure is more than two million.[128] Four in five people watching television at the time were watching The Late Late Toy Show, with 77% of Irish TV viewers watching the show. The Toy Show was also watched in 102 countries outside of Ireland on the RTÉ Player.[129] [130] The 2016 Toy Show was the most watched programme of 2016 with a total of 1,571,600 viewers.[131]

2017 edition

The 2017 Toy Show took place on 1 December 2017, starting at 9.35pm and finishing at 12.00am. It was Ryan Tubridy's 9th show, and the 42nd Toy Show overall.[132] Auditions for performers began on 23 October in Cork and continued with visits to Galway and Mullingar . The application process for tickets to the show went online from 23 October with just 204 tickets being available.[133] [134] In the first two days alone, the show had already received 80,000 applications for tickets.[135] On 23 November a trailer was released and was shown for the first time on RTE 1 that evening. The theme for the trailer was based around the story of The Nutcracker.[136] The trailer shows a young girl settling to sleep with a festive snow globe at her bedside, the snow globe comes to life with Ryan Tubridy dressed as the toy soldier from the Nutcracker inside and plays in the snow with the young girl and other young children.[137] The show was streamed live worldwide on the RTÉ Player, where anyone anywhere in the world could watch live as it was not geo-blocked.[138]

The theme was the Disney animated film The Little Mermaid.[139] [140] [141] [142] [143] The opening of the show included Ryan Tubridy dressed as Sebastian, a red crab from the Little Mermaid dancing and singing on the opening musical performance of Under the Sea.[144] [145] [146] And in the same year Alisha Weir also performed "True Colors" from the 2016 animated film Trolls along with Barry Murphy. Guests included five members of the Galway All-Ireland winning hurling team to surprise a young Galway fan.[147] [148] [149] The Toy Show was RTÉ's most watched programme of 2017, with 1.3 million people watching over the weekend.[150] [151] The average live audience of 1.2 million on the night, 72% of the audience watching television at the time.[152] The show was also watched in 109 countries outside of Ireland.[153] The show was the most-watched programme on Irish television in 2017, with an average audience of 1.3 million viewers.[154]

2018 edition

On 4 October, Ryan Tubridy revealed that the 2018 Late Late Toy Show would take place on 30 November, starting at 9.35pm. It was Ryan Tubridy's 10th show, and the 43rd Toy Show overall.[155] The application process for tickets to the show went online from 26 October with just 204 tickets being available which are issued via a random lottery. There were more than 140,000 applications for the show in 2017.[156] On 19 November a trailer was released and was shown for the first time on RTÉ One that evening after the Six One weather bulletin.[157] [158] The show was streamed live worldwide on the RTÉ Player, where anyone anywhere in the world could watch live as it was not Geo-blocked.[159] The theme for the show was based on the film The Greatest Showman and included 200 young performers and over 30 toy testers.[160] [161] [162] [163] The opening of the show included Ryan Tubridy dressed as P. T. Barnum and performing the song The Greatest Show in a circus ring set.[164] [165] [166] [167] The Toy Show was RTÉ's most watched programme of 2018, with 1.5 million people watching over the weekend. The average live audience of 1.3 million on the night, 74% of the audience watching television at the time. The show was also watched in over 100 countries outside of Ireland.[168] [169] [170] [171]

2019 edition

The 2019 edition of the Toy Show aired 29 November 2019, marking the 11th hosted by Tubridy and the 44th edition overall. For the first time, the programme was simulcast with Irish sign language interpretation on RTÉ News Now.[172] Over 90,000 people applied in the first five days for the 150 tickets.[173] An official trailer premiered 20 November,[174] [175] while RTÉ One broadcast a three-night retrospective miniseries, The Late Late Toy Show Unwrapped, from 27 November, which chronicled the special's history and featured reunions of children who appeared on past editions.[176] [177]

The show was themed around the film Frozen, featuring Tubridy dressed as Olaf for the show's opening number.[178] [179] Amongst the performers was Anna Kearney who had represented Ireland in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2019 two weeks before the Toy Show. Highlights of the programme included Tubridy surprising a toy tester with an ill brother with a trip to London, and a young bike rider and his family receiving a surprise from his older sister who flew from Australia to surprise her family on the show. Notable guests included golfer Shane Lowry and boxer Katie Taylor. A short tribute to the programme's late original host Gay Byrne, who died earlier in the month, was featured at the end of the programme when Tubridy was sat in an armchair with a photo of Byrne next to him on a coffee table, while a young boy performed a rendition of White Christmas.[180] [181] [182] The Toy Show was RTÉ's most watched programme of 2019, with 1.7 million people watching over the weekend. The average live audience of 1.35 million on the night, 76% of the audience watching television at the time. The show was also watched in over 100 countries outside of Ireland.[183]

2020s

2020 edition

The 2020 edition of the Toy Show aired 27 November 2020, marking the 12th hosted by Tubridy and the 45th edition overall. For the second time, the programme was simulcast with Irish sign language interpretation on the RTÉ News channel. Thousands of children from Ireland and across the world applied to appear on the show.[184] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was no studio audience.[185] For the first time ever, RTÉ opened applications for people living abroad as many families couldn't be together for Christmas due to the pandemic. An official trailer premiered 13 November,[186] [187] which told the story of a young girl named Eva who was stuck at home and missing her friends.[188] [189]

The show was themed around the children's book author Roald Dahl, featuring Tubridy dressed as Fantastic Mr Fox for the show's opening number.[190] [191] Highlights of the programme included singer-songwriter Dermot Kennedy surprising a teenager, Michael Moloney, while performing a cover of Kennedy's "Giants", which he dedicated to his late father,[192] [193] [194] and a special performance of Take That's "Rule the World", sung by Eva Norton, which featured children from all over the world, including Australia, New York City, Bahrain, South Korea, Dubai, Boston, Madrid, Auckland and Tasmania.[195] Notable guests included singer-songwriter Gary Barlow, musician and songwriter The Edge and comedian and writer David Walliams.[196] [197] The Toy Show was the most watched TV programme on record, with 1.7 million people watching over the weekend.[198] The average live audience of 1.5 million on the night, 79% of the audience watching television at the time.[199] The show was also watched in 138 countries outside of Ireland.[200] The Toy Show was the most watched programme on Irish television in 2020.[201] [202]

2021 edition

The 2021 edition of the Toy Show aired 26 November 2021, marking the 13th hosted by Tubridy and the 46th edition overall. For the third time, the programme was simulcast with Irish sign language interpretation on the RTÉ News channel.[203] [204] Due to health and safety reasons, only people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 were allowed to attend the show.[205] [206] An official trailer for the show premiered on 13 November.[207] [208] [209]

The show was themed around Disney's The Lion King,[210] featuring Tubridy dressed as Timon for the show's opening number.[211] Highlights of the programme included an inspirational eight-year-old boy Finn who spoke about battling cancer,[212] and a special performance by the Kieran brothers – DJ Callum and his younger brother Jackson with dancers mixing modern dancing with traditional Irish.[213] Notable guests included singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran who made his Toy Show return to sing with the "Toy Show Choir",[214] and Olympic gold-medalist Kellie Harrington who shared motivating advice to young children around the country.[215] [216] [217] The Toy Show was RTÉ's most watched programme of 2021, with 1.8 million people watching over the weekend, making it one of the highest-rating TV programmes on a single channel on record in Ireland.[218] The average live audience of 1.56 million on the night, 81% of the audience watching television at the time.[219] The show was also watched in 152 countries outside of Ireland, including from all fifty states in the United States and all eight Australian territories.[220] [221] It was the most watched programme on Irish television in 2021.[222] [223]

2022 edition

On 13 May 2022, The Late Late Show announced details of a Christmas musical for the first time, with Toy Show The Musical coming to the Convention Centre Dublin from 10 December.[224] [225]

The 2022 edition of the Toy Show aired 25 November 2022, marking the 14th and final edition hosted by Tubridy and the 47th edition overall.[226] For the fourth time, the programme was simulcast with Irish sign language interpretation on the RTÉ News channel. An official trailer for the show premiered on 14 November.[227] The show raised over €3.8 million for its annual charity appeal.[228]

The show was themed around The Wizard of Oz, for the second time after the 2009 edition, with more than 200 young performers and toy testers taking part.[229] [230] [231] The opening number featured Tubridy driving a Dublin Bus down Yellow Brick Road, breaking into a retelling of Dorothy's arrival, not at a land called Oz, but at the Toy Show. There was also a pre-recorded mid-show performance by Tubridy of Let It Snow.[232] [233] Notable guests included Liverpool and Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher, Harry Potter actress Emma Watson (in a recorded video message), and some members of the Republic of Ireland women's national football team.[234] [235] [236] Highlights of the show included Kelleher surprising a fan with a trip to Anfield, the women's team surprising a fan with a trip to Australia for their upcoming World Cup campaign, a young girl being reunited with her friends from hospital, and the friendship between an Irish girl and Ukrainian girl.[237] The Toy Show was RTÉ's most watched programme of 2022, with 1.6 million people watching over the weekend. The show also had 303,000 streams on RTÉ Player across the weekend, with viewers watching from over 139 countries.[238]

The show was marred by a previously unidentified audience member, who on the night of the event became colloquially known as "The 'Woo-Woo' Man" on social media, owing to the a series of highly audable 'woo' noises during periods of audience engagement.[239]

2023 edition

The 2023 edition of the Toy Show aired on 24 November 2023, marking the first edition hosted by Patrick Kielty following Tubridy's departure from the show and the 48th edition overall.[240] The first television advert for the show aired on the night of 17 November and showed a classroom of kids teaching Kielty what he needs to do to fulfil their Toy-Show wishes.[241] The show was themed around the Christmas movie Elf.[242] [243] Amongst the special guests were Alisha Weir, in her second Toy Show appearance following 2017, from Matilda the Musical, who surprised a group of fans who performed the number "Naughty" from the musical, and Ireland rugby players Peter O'Mahony and Bundee Aki, who surprised a young fan with a signed Ireland jersey.[244] [245] Highlights of the programme included Kielty surprising an audience member with her daughter and her family who flew in from Australia, and Kielty surprising a young fan who was watching from hospital at the time with the opportunity to be picked up to the studio to appear on the show.[246] At the beginning of the programme, Kielty also paid tribute to the young kids who were subjected to an attack in Dublin the previous afternoon. €3.6 million was raised for the Toy Show Appeal.[247] The Toy Show was RTÉ's most watched programme of 2023, with 1.7 million people watching over the weekend.[248] The show also had 550,000 streams on RTÉ Player across the weekend, with viewers watching from over 147 countries. On social media, #LateLateToyShow generated 26.2 million video views and 2.2 million interactions.[249]

Traditions

Aside from the host's Christmas jumper, the Toy Show has a number of (mostly unwritten) traditions, including:

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Caitlin . McBride . Look behind you Ryan . https://archive.today/20130217223256/http://www.herald.ie/entertainment/tv-radio/look-behind-you-ryan-1956262.html . dead . 17 February 2013 . Evening Herald . 27 November 2009 . 28 November 2009 .
  2. News: Toy Show ad cost unchanged at €17,000. The Sunday Business Post. Post Publications Ltd.. 22 November 2009. 5 November 2009. subscription .
  3. News: Toy Show is just child's play for Pat. Irish Independent. 28 November 2006. 15 December 2008.
  4. News: Gay Byrne Interview. RTÉ Arts. Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 17 August 2009. 18 August 2009.
  5. News: Party through the pain. Irish Independent. 14 December 2006. 15 November 2008.
  6. News: Gay . Byrne . The chameleon of Montrose . The Irish Times . 13 February 2010 . 13 February 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20101118184127/http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/weekend/2010/0213/1224264325263.html . 18 November 2010 . dead .
  7. Web site: How Gay Byrne invented The Late Late Toy Show. 24 November 2021. RTE. 24 November 2021.
  8. Web site: 'Gay said "No, we are not doing a toy slot"' – The inside story of the Late Late Toy Show's creation. 19 November 2021. Irish Independent. 24 November 2021.
  9. News: 'Toy Show' Plays With 1.4million Viewers. Irish Film and Television Network. 30 November 2010. 30 November 2010. This year’s live audience figures for the ‘Late Late Toy Show’ are the highest in 16 years – almost matching those of December 9th, 1994 when the show attracted an average audience of 1,409,000 viewers..
  10. News: Gaybo bullied me in chair row: Siubhan. Irish Independent. 27 February 1998. 25 November 2008.
  11. Web site: The Late Late Toy Show Top 10 Moments . . 26 November 2014 . 26 November 2014.
  12. News: Top five moments from the Late Late Toy Show. JOE.ie. 29 November 2012. 29 November 2012.
  13. News: Toy Show was top of the box with 2005 viewers. Irish Independent. 5 January 2006. 25 November 2008.
  14. News: Late, Late Toy Show treat for car arson victim Millie. Irish Independent. 24 November 2006. 25 November 2008.
  15. News: Children's world is pink and blue, says survey. Irish Independent. 2 November 2007. 25 November 2008.
  16. News: RTÉ seeks new deal for Late Late Show . . . 18 May 2008 . 24 November 2008 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090114114421/http://archives.tcm.ie/businesspost/2008/05/18/story32977.asp . 14 January 2009 .
  17. News: 'Late Late Toy Show' tops annual ratings. BreakingNews.ie. 3 December 2007. 24 November 2008.
  18. Web site: Pat Kenny vs Jerry Seinfeld - Toy Show. 24 October 2008.
  19. Pat Kenny on The Cafe. 28 November 2008.
  20. Pat Kenny on RTÉ announcement. 21:00
  21. News: The Countdown to Christmas begins at RTÉ. RTÉ Arts. 28 November 2008. 28 November 2008.
  22. News: Pat's 'Toy Show' attracts record 1.2 million viewers. Irish Independent. 2 December 2008. 15 December 2008.
  23. News: Eugene. Masterson. Kenny throws his toys out of pram. Sunday World. 24 November 2008. 24 November 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20150226175337/http://www.sundayworld.com/style/showbiz/kenny-throws-his-toys-out-of-pram. 26 February 2015.
  24. News: RTÉ viewers raise hell over Late Late 'Satanic' show. Irish Independent. 24 November 2008. 25 November 2008.
  25. News: Ralph. Riegel. I'd be bored stiff, says winner of Toy Show tickets. Irish Independent. 26 November 2008. 15 December 2008.
  26. News: Late Late Show Slur on Cork Woman. People's Republic of Cork. 24 November 2008. 27 November 2008. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20100102201656/http://peoplesrepublicofcork.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=785. 2 January 2010.
  27. Web site: Woman declines tickets on Late Late show #1. 28 November 2008.
  28. Web site: Woman declines tickets on Late Late show #2. 28 November 2008.
  29. News: Bad start . . . A useful Tool . . . Pat's toying with us. Irish Independent. 27 November 2008. 15 December 2008.
  30. News: Pat Kenny to join Aidan on The Café. RTÉ Arts. 28 November 2008. 28 November 2008.
  31. News: Westlife's Nicky mourns his bravest fan. Evening Herald. 2 February 2009. 2 February 2009.
  32. Web site: Friday, 28 November 2008. RTÉ. 12 December 2008.
  33. News: Stephen . O'Farrell. Big kid Tubridy wheely excited for toy show. 27 November 2009. 27 November 2009. Irish Independent.
  34. News: Jedward 'so excited' about Toy Show. 26 November 2009. 27 November 2009. RTÉ.
  35. News: Tubridy thrilled with Toy Show figures. 30 November 2009. RTÉ Entertainment. 2 December 2009.
  36. News: Claire . Murphy . Toy show jumper dilemma for Ryan . Evening Herald . 23 November 2009 . 27 November 2009 . dead . https://archive.today/20130217180036/http://www.herald.ie/entertainment/tv-radio/toy-show-jumper-dilemma-for-ryan-1951439.html . 17 February 2013 .
  37. News: Pat . Stacey . Toy Show's got its mojo back, thanks to Tubridy . Evening Herald . 28 November 2009 . 28 November 2009 . dead . https://archive.today/20130217200342/http://www.herald.ie/entertainment/tv-radio/toy-shows-got-its-mojo-back-thanks-to-tubridy-1957299.html . 17 February 2013 .
  38. News: Lorna. Nolan. Ryan reveals he won't be rushing up aisle. Evening Herald. 26 November 2009. 27 November 2009.
  39. News: Three Offaly girls take to the Late Late Toy Show stage tonight. Midlands 103. 27 November 2009. 27 November 2009.
  40. News: John and Edward make Irish TV debut. STV. 29 November 2009. 29 November 2009.
  41. News: Lorna . Nolan . Fiona . Dillon . Toy boys sh** shocker—Twin lets slip as trousers rip live on Late Late . Evening Herald . 28 November 2009 . 28 November 2009 . dead . https://archive.today/20130217174251/http://www.herald.ie/entertainment/tv-radio/toy-boys-sh-shocker-1957293.html . 17 February 2013 .
  42. News: Dan . Buckley. Jedward play their part on Late Late Toy Show. Irish Examiner. Thomas Crosbie Holdings. 28 November 2009. 28 November 2009.
  43. News: Caitlin . McBride . Louis keeps Jedward in papers in row with Ryan over toy show . https://archive.today/20130107202136/http://www.herald.ie/entertainment/around-town/louis-keeps-jedward-in-papers-in-row-with-ryan-over-toy-show-1966382.html . dead . 7 January 2013 . Evening Herald . 7 December 2009 . 21 December 2009 .
  44. News: Magical Figures for Ryan's first Late Late Toy Show . RTÉ Press Centre . 30 November 2009 . 2 December 2009 .
  45. News: Paul Cunningham's hat auctioned for Goal. RTÉ Arts. 22 January 2010. 22 January 2010.
  46. News: Sinéad. Gleeson. Ways of giving. The Irish Times. 29 January 2010. 29 January 2010. RTÉ faces have contributed personal items to an eBay auction and there was frenzied bidding for the now legendary "big freeze" hat worn by RTÉ environment correspondent Paul Cunningham (above) – going on to raise €570, and Ryan Tubridy’s Late Late Toy Show jumper earned a whopping €1,050..
  47. Web site: Tubridy ends sour week on a sweet note. Irish Independent. 26 November 2010. 30 November 2010.
  48. Web site: Toy Show guests and surprises revealed. RTÉ Ten. 26 November 2010. 30 November 2010.
  49. News: Tubridy shocked by 'jumpergate' reactions. RTÉ Ten. 12 November 2010. 12 November 2010.
  50. News: 1.4m tune into Late Late Toy Show. RTÉ Ten. 30 November 2010. 30 November 2010.
  51. News: Tubridy reveals the Toy Show set. RTÉ Ten. 2 December 2011. 2 December 2011.
  52. News: Ken. Sweeney. Tales of hardship don't make Ryan feel guilty about his €500,000 salary, he admits. Irish Independent. 2 December 2011. 2 December 2011.
  53. News: Alexandra . Ryan . I'll quit if ratings aren't good enough, says Tubs . https://archive.today/20120804165554/http://www.herald.ie/news/ill-quit-if-ratings-arent-good-enough-says-tubs-2952615.html . dead . 4 August 2012 . Evening Herald . 2 December 2011 . 2 December 2011 .
  54. News: Cute kids, toys galore and that jumper as Ryan banishes blues. Irish Independent. 2 December 2011. 7 December 2011.
  55. News: Ken. Sweeney. Tubridy in stitches after Toy Show jumpers labelled a crime. Irish Independent. 29 November 2011. 29 November 2011.
  56. News: Laura. Butler. Tub-woody hosts the toy show. Evening Herald. 3 December 2011. 3 December 2011.
  57. News: In photos: A sneak peek at the Late Late Toy Show…. the journal.ie. 2 December 2011. 7 December 2011.
  58. News: Over 1.4m watch Late Late Toy Show. RTÉ Ten. 5 December 2011. 5 December 2011.
  59. News: Toy Show top watched programme of 2011. RTÉ Ten. 19 January 2012. 19 January 2012.
  60. News: Ken. Sweeney. Record ratings give Tubridy a lift: 'Late Late' host ends 'tricky' 2011 on a high. Irish Independent. 6 December 2011. 6 December 2011.
  61. Web site: Ryan Tubridy turns Santa's helper for Shrek-themed 'Late Late Toy Show'. 1 December 2012. Irish Independent. 3 December 2012 .
  62. News: Boyband to feature on 'Late Late Toy Show'. Irish Examiner. Thomas Crosbie Holdings. 30 November 2012. 30 November 2012.
  63. News: Ken. Sweeney. Value to get top billing in 'Late Late Toy Show'. Irish Independent. 28 November 2012. 28 November 2012.
  64. News: Warning issued over a planned text scam offering tickets to The Late Late Toy Show. RTÉ News. 28 November 2012. 28 November 2012.
  65. News: Eimear. Rabbitte. Toy Show fans targeted by text fraudsters. Evening Herald. 29 November 2012. 29 November 2012.
  66. News: Port Irish dancer for Late Late Toy Show. Leinster Leader. 29 November 2012. 29 November 2012.
  67. News: Naas kids for Late Late Toy Show. Leinster Leader. 29 November 2012. 29 November 2012.
  68. News: Ken. Sweeney. Video: Late Late Toy Show 'is the rainbow to brighten up the gloom'. Irish Independent. 30 November 2012. 30 November 2012.
  69. Web site: It's the Late Late Toy Show - tonight!. 1 December 2012. RTÉ News. 3 December 2012 .
  70. Web site: Toy Show starts the festive season in style. 1 December 2012. Herald. 3 December 2012 .
  71. Web site: 40,000 seek tickets for 'Toy Show'. 13 November 2013. Irish Independent. 2 December 2013.
  72. Web site: Late Late Toy Show to be streamed live for expats abroad. 26 November 2013. Irish Independent. 28 November 2013.
  73. Web site: Tubridy gets wish for Poppins-style Late Late Toy Show. 26 November 2013. Irish Independent. 28 November 2013.
  74. Web site: Christmas starts tonight with The Late Late Toy Show. 29 November 2013. RTÉ Ten. 29 November 2013.
  75. Web site: Tubridy admits he's 'very nervous' ahead of Late Late Toy Show. 28 November 2013. Irish Independent. 29 November 2013.
  76. Web site: Tubs hopes to conjure up magical time for 'Toy Show' fans. 29 November 2013. Irish Independent. 29 November 2013.
  77. Web site: TV3's 'Toy Show' rival is early for Christmas. 11 November 2013. Irish Independent. 29 November 2013.
  78. Web site: 'Late Late Toy Show' goes down a treat - without a spoonful of sugar in sight. 1 December 2013. Irish Independent. 2 December 2013.
  79. Web site: Robbie Keane meeting awestruck young fan Domhnall was the highlight of the Late Late Toy Show last night. 1 December 2013. Joe.ie. 2 December 2013.
  80. Web site: Robbie, Mary, Bosco and cups…The Late Late Toy Show 2013 as it happened. 1 December 2013. Journal.ie. 2 December 2013.
  81. Web site: Bosco visits Late Late Toy Show 2013 . 1 December 2013. Youtube.com. 2 December 2013.
  82. Web site: Late Late Toy Show 2013 best bits… in pictures and video. 1 December 2013. The Daily Edge. 2 December 2013.
  83. Web site: Top ten most-watched shows on RTÉ in 2013. 16 January 2014. Irish Independent. 16 January 2014.
  84. Web site: Ron Burgundy talks Late Late Toy Show. 28 November 2013. RTÉ News. 20 November 2014.
  85. Web site: WATCH: It's here! The Late Late Toy Show trailer. 20 November 2014. Irish Examiner. 20 November 2014.
  86. Web site: I won't throw my toys out of the pram over rival toy show, says Tubridy. 20 November 2014. Irish Independent. 20 November 2014.
  87. Web site: How to watch the Late Late Toy Show from anywhere in the world. 27 November 2014. Journal. 27 November 2014.
  88. Web site: Watch The Late Late Toy Show around the world!. 26 November 2014. RTÉ News. 27 November 2014.
  89. Web site: Why the 'Late Late' doesn't toy with the toy show. 22 November 2014. The Irish Times. 27 November 2014.
  90. Web site: Tubs hopes to make a Chitty Chitty big bang on Toy Show. 28 November 2014. Herald . 28 November 2014.
  91. Web site: Toys, dancing and Ryan Tubridy singing… The Late Late Toy Show is only a few hours away. 28 November 2014. Journal. 28 November 2014.
  92. Web site: The Late Late Toy Show: What's in store. 28 November 2014. Irish Independent . 28 November 2014.
  93. Web site: The Late Late Toy Show is on tonight!. 28 November 2014. RTÉ News. 28 November 2014.
  94. Web site: Late Late Toy Show 2014: Best moments from this year's show. 2 December 2014. Irish Mirror. 2 December 2014.
  95. Web site: Ed Sheeran surprising fan Aimee wins the Late Late Toy Show!. 2 December 2014. Irish Independent. 2 December 2014.
  96. Web site: Tubridy beats King Nidge in RTE ratings, as Toy Show pulls in 1.3m views. 2 December 2014. Irish Independent. 2 December 2014.
  97. Web site: 1.4m viewers tuned into this year's 'Toy Show'. 2 December 2014. Irish Examiner. 2 December 2014.
  98. Web site: As it happened: The Late Late Toy Show 2014. 2 December 2014. The Journal. 2 December 2014.
  99. Web site: 'Late Late Toy Show' is shiny and bright for RTÉ. 29 October 2015. The Irish Times. 5 November 2015.
  100. Web site: TV3 denies axing Brian McFadden as Maria Walsh gets Toy Show role. 5 November 2015. Irish Independent. 5 November 2015.
  101. Web site: Millions to tune in for Tubs' 'Toy Show' wonderland. 27 November 2015. Irish Independent. 27 November 2015.
  102. Web site: Tubridy: "Toy Show will be great and colourful". 27 November 2015. RTÉ News. 27 November 2015.
  103. Web site: Here's a sneak peek of this year's Late Late Toy Show set. 27 November 2015. The Journal. 27 November 2015.
  104. Web site: Big kid Ryan Tubridy plans a Christmas tale as old as time for Late Late Toy Show. 27 November 2015. Irish Examiner. 27 November 2015.
  105. Web site: Toy Show countdown begins as finishing touches put on Beauty and the Beast Christmas extravaganza. 27 November 2015. Irish Mirror. 27 November 2015.
  106. Web site: 16 of the best moments from the Late Late Toy Show. 27 November 2015. Daily Edge. 30 November 2015.
  107. Web site: The Late Late Toy Show 2015 - most magic moments from dead pony songs to brother and sister loveliness. 28 November 2015. Irish Independent. 30 November 2015.
  108. Web site: Best bits from The Late Late Toy Show. 28 November 2015. Irish Examiner. 30 November 2015.
  109. Web site: Record ratings for 40th 'Late Late Toy Show'. 1 December 2015. Irish Independent. 1 December 2015.
  110. Web site: Massive 1.36m people tune in to Late Late Toy Show making it most watched programme of 2015. 1 December 2015. Irish Independent. 1 December 2015.
  111. Web site: Late Late Toy Show most-watched TV programme this year. 1 December 2015. Irish Examiner. 1 December 2015.
  112. Web site: Late Late Toy Show is Ireland's most watched programme on TV with 1.36 million viewers this year. 1 December 2015. Irish Mirror. 1 December 2015.
  113. Web site: WATCH: Ryan Tubridy reveals new format for this year's Late Late Toy Show. 22 August 2016. Irish Independent. 22 August 2016.
  114. Web site: Late Late Toy Show video: Tubridy sings for the 'RTÉ board'. 18 November 2016. The Irish Times. 23 November 2016.
  115. Web site: WATCH: Your Late Late Toy Show sneak peek is here!. 18 November 2016. Irish Examiner. 23 November 2016.
  116. Web site: Over 125,000 apply for Late Late Toy Show tickets. 16 November 2016. RTE. 23 November 2016.
  117. Web site: How to watch the Late Late Toy Show ANYWHERE!. 29 November 2016. RTE News. 29 November 2016.
  118. Web site: Here's how to watch the Late Late Toy Show from anywhere in the world. 29 November 2016. Journal. 29 November 2016.
  119. Web site: TV3 is basically the teaser for the Late Late Toy Show' - Lucy Kennedy. 18 November 2016. Irish Independent. 23 November 2016.
  120. Web site: 10 things to know about The Late Late Toy Show before it airs tonight. 2 December 2016. Irish Independent. 2 December 2016.
  121. Web site: Tubs says the Toy Show will be 'the most colourful' yet. 2 December 2016. RTE News. 2 December 2016.
  122. Web site: Ryan Tubridy welcomes TV3's 'teaser' Toy Show ahead of tonight's Late Late. 2 December 2016. Journal. 2 December 2016.
  123. Web site: Late Late Toy Show review: What was missing from the show was .... 2 December 2016. The Irish Times. 5 December 2016.
  124. Web site: 'From fairy doors to Rory McIlroy' - 10 of the best moments from The Late Late Toy Show. 2 December 2016. Irish Independent. 5 December 2016.
  125. Web site: People LOVED the opening of The Late Late Toy Show. 2 December 2016. Irish Examiner. 5 December 2016.
  126. Web site: The Late Late Toy Show 2016 as it happened: Pet lambs, a Tipperary rapper and Ryan's Christmas jumper. 2 December 2016. Irish Independentl. 5 December 2016.
  127. Web site: As it Happened:2016. 2 December 2016. The Journal. 5 December 2016.
  128. Web site: Late Late Toy Show becomes 2016's most watched programme on Irish television. 5 December 2016. Irish Independentl. 6 December 2016.
  129. Web site: Friday night's Late Late Toy Show is this year's most-watched Irish programme. 5 December 2016. The Journal. 6 December 2016.
  130. Web site: The viewing figures for The Late Late Toy Show are in . 5 December 2016. Entertainment.ie. 6 December 2016.
  131. Web site: Revealed: The most watched tv programmes of 2016. 12 January 2017. Irish Independent. 13 January 2017.
  132. Web site: 10 classic Toy Show moments that prove why it's an Irish institution. 1 December 2017. The Journal. 1 December 2017.
  133. Web site: Talent and tickets: this year's Toy Show just took off!. 24 October 2017. RTE News. 24 October 2017.
  134. Web site: Trouper Tubridy on road for 'Late Late Toy Show'. 24 October 2017. Irish Independent. 24 October 2017.
  135. Web site: No kidding, 80,000 request tickets for Late Late Toy Show - in just two days. 26 October 2017. Irish Independent. 26 October 2017.
  136. Web site: The Late Late Toy Show trailer is here!. 23 November 2017. RTE News. 23 November 2017.
  137. Web site: WATCH: The Late Late Toy Show trailer has landed and it's a (Nut)cracker. 23 November 2017. Irish Independent. 23 November 2017.
  138. Web site: This is how you can watch The Late Late Toy Show if you're abroad this year. 27 November 2017. Irish Independent. 28 November 2017.
  139. Web site: Late Late Toy Show sneak preview - here's what to expect from tonight's show. 1 December 2017. Irish Independent. 1 December 2017.
  140. Web site: Toy Show going Under the Sea with 'boatiful' theme, said Ryan Tubridy. 1 December 2017. RTE News. 1 December 2017.
  141. Web site: Onesie at the ready: Let the countdown to The Late Late Toy Show begin!. 1 December 2017. Irish Examiner. 1 December 2017.
  142. Web site: Remember these magic moments from The Late Late Toy Shows of Christmases past?. 1 December 2017. Irish Independent. 1 December 2017.
  143. Web site: Tubridy has been getting 'Toy Show ready' by watching Elf and dancing around his kitchen. 1 December 2017. The Journal. 1 December 2017.
  144. Web site: As it happened: The late late toy show 2017. 1 December 2017. The Journal. 1 December 2017.
  145. Web site: A rundown of the 8 best moments from last night's Late Late Toy Show. 1 December 2017. The Journal. 1 December 2017.
  146. Web site: Family reunion rules The Late Late Toy Show. 1 December 2017. RTE News. 1 December 2017.
  147. Web site: The Late Late Toy Show: Best Moments. 1 December 2017. RTE News. 1 December 2017.
  148. Web site: 10 most talked about moments from the Late Late Show. 1 December 2017. Irish Independent. 4 December 2017.
  149. Web site: WATCH - The Galway hurlers made one fan's Christmas with lovely gesture during the Late Late Toy Show. 1 December 2017. Irish Independent. 4 December 2017.
  150. Web site: Friday night's Late Late Toy Show was the most-watched Irish programme this year. 5 December 2017. The 42. 8 December 2017.
  151. Web site: As it happened: The Late Late toy Show 2017. 1 December 2017. Irish Independent. 8 December 2017.
  152. Web site: Late Late Toy Show the most-watched programme of 2017. 5 December 2017. RTE News. 8 December 2017.
  153. Web site: More than 1.3m watched Late Late Toy Show in Ireland over the weekend with 109 countries also tuning in. 5 December 2017. Irish Independent. 8 December 2017.
  154. Web site: Late Late Toy Show was the most-watched Irish programme in 2017. 9 January 2018. Journal. 9 January 2018.
  155. Web site: When is the Late Late Toy Show 2018? RTE host Ryan Tubridy reveals date. 4 October 2017. Irish Mirror. 5 October 2018.
  156. Web site: Applications now open for tickets to the Late Late Toy Show. 26 October 2018. The Journal. 2 November 2018.
  157. Web site: Toy Show trailer gives a sneak peek at the festivities. 19 November 2018. RTE News. 20 November 2018.
  158. Web site: The 16 most memorable moments from Late Late Toy Shows of Christmases past. 28 November 2018. Irish Independent. 29 November 2018.
  159. Web site: Here's how you can watch the Toy Show from anywhere in the world. 30 November 2018. Daily Edge. 30 November 2018.
  160. Web site: WATCH: An emotional Ryan Tubridy reveals powerful message behind Late Late Toy Show theme. 30 November 2018. Irish Independent. 30 November 2018.
  161. Web site: This is it! Tubs is The Greatest Showman for Late Late Toy Show. 30 November 2018. RTE News. 30 November 2018.
  162. Web site: Everything you need to know about the Late Late Toy Show. 29 November 2018. RTE News. 30 November 2018.
  163. Web site: 'An antidote to the Kardashianisation of this generation': A sneak peek of tonight's Toy Show. 30 November 2018. Journal. 30 November 2018.
  164. Web site: 2018 Toy Show: as it happened . 30 November 2018. Journal. 4 December 2018.
  165. Web site: Every toy from the Late Late Toy Show 2018. 3 December 2018. RTE News. 4 December 2018.
  166. Web site: The five top moments from this year's 'The Greatest Showman' Late Late Toy Show. 3 December 2018. Irish Independent. 4 December 2018.
  167. Web site: 7 of the main highlights from last night's Late Late Toy Show. 3 December 2018. Journal. 4 December 2018.
  168. Web site: The Late Late Toy Show is the most watched show of the year. 3 December 2018. RTE News. 4 December 2018.
  169. Web site: Late Late Toy Show most watched programme of year, drawing 1.3 million viewers live on the night. 3 December 2018. Irish Independent. 4 December 2018.
  170. Web site: Late Late Toy Show most watched programme on Irish TV so far this year. 3 December 2018. Journal. 4 December 2018.
  171. Web site: Grand Slam decider the most-watched sporting event on Irish TV in 2018. 10 January 2019. The 42. 11 January 2019.
  172. Fetherston. Sinann. 2019-11-26. Everything you need to know about The Late Late Toy Show 2019. RTÉ News. en.
  173. Web site: What it takes to get a coveted Late Late Toy Show ticket. 16 October 2019. Irish Independent. 16 October 2019.
  174. Web site: The Late Late Toy Show 2019 trailer is finally here. 20 November 2019. Irish Mirror. 28 November 2019.
  175. Web site: The Late Late Toy Show 2019 trailer is here. 20 November 2019. Breaking News. 28 November 2019.
  176. Web site: Young Toy Show stars return to RTÉ One ahead of the big night. 27 November 2019. RTE. 28 November 2019.
  177. Web site: Late Late Toy Show gets nostalgic in sweet teaser. 20 November 2019. RTE. 28 November 2019.
  178. Web site: Late Late Toy Show review: Tear-jerking sincerity reflects a changing Ireland. Crawley. Peter. The Irish Times. en. 2019-11-30.
  179. Web site: Ryan Tubridy may be playing Olaf in a Frozen-themed Late Late Toy Show. 29 November 2019. Irish Examiner. 29 November 2019.
  180. Web site: 2019 Late Late Toy show as it happened. 4 December 2019. RTE. 6 December 2019.
  181. Web site: 10 gems from the Late Late Toy Show. 4 December 2019. RTE. 6 December 2019.
  182. Web site: Late Late Toy Show review: Tear-jerking sincerity reflects a changing Ireland. 4 December 2019. The Irish Times. 6 December 2019.
  183. Web site: Ryan Tubridy 'totally taken aback' by The Late Late Toy Show response as viewing figures revealed. 1 December 2019. Irish Independent. 5 December 2019.
  184. News: Thousands of children apply for Late Late Toy Show. RTÉ News and Current Affairs. 22 September 2020. 28 November 2020.
  185. News: Late Late Toy Show 2020: RTE receive thousands of applications from across the world - but you've just days left to apply. Irish Mirror. John. Patrick Kierans. 22 September 2020. 28 November 2020.
  186. News: Watch: The Late Late Toy Show trailer is here - and it perfectly depicts 2020. Irish Independent. Ciara. O'Loughlin. 13 November 2020. 28 November 2020.
  187. News: New trailer confirms Late Late Toy Show is on the way. RTÉ News and Current Affairs. 23 November 2020. 28 November 2020.
  188. News: Watch: The Late Late Toy Show trailer is here - and it perfectly depicts 2020. Irish Independent. 13 November 2020. 24 November 2020.
  189. News: 'I cried when I saw Late Late Toy Show set' - Ryan Tubridy. Irish Independent. 23 November 2020. 24 November 2020.
  190. News: Watch: A sensational opening to the Late Late Toy Show. RTÉ News and Current Affairs. 27 November 2020. 28 November 2020.
  191. News: The Late Late Toy Show 2020: Ryan Tubridy channels Fantastic Mr Fox for Roald Dahl-themed show. Irish Independent. Sheena. McGinley. 27 November 2020. 28 November 2020.
  192. News: Watch: Dermot Kennedy surprises fan on Toy Show. RTÉ News and Current Affairs. 28 November 2020. 28 November 2020.
  193. News: Dermot Kennedy surprises superfan Michael Moloney on RTE Late Late Toy Show with duet. Irish Mirror. Colin. Brennan. 28 November 2020. 28 November 2020.
  194. News: Late Late Toy Show duet with musical hero 'absolutely mad' says delighted teen. The Irish Times. Ronan. McGreevy. 28 November 2020. 28 November 2020.
  195. News: Watch: A very special Toy Show performance of Rule The World. RTÉ News and Current Affairs. 28 November 2020. 28 November 2020.
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  197. News: All the celebrity appearances on The Late Late Toy Show. Goss.ie. Kendra. Becker. 28 November 2020. 28 November 2020.
  198. News: Late Late Toy Show records its highest TV audience on record. RTÉ News and Current Affairs. 30 November 2020. 30 November 2020.
  199. News: This year's Toy Show had the highest TV audience for any Toy Show on record. TheJournal.ie. Órla. Ryan. 30 November 2020. 30 November 2020.
  200. News: Late Late Toy Show watched by its biggest audience on record. The Irish Times. Laura. Slattery. 30 November 2020. 30 November 2020.
  201. Web site: Late Late Toy Show was top of the box in 2020. 11 January 2021. RTE. 12 January 2021.
  202. Web site: Toy Show and Varadkar's Patrick's Day address most-watched RTÉ broadcasts last year. 11 January 2021. Journal. 12 January 2021.
  203. Web site: Late Late Toy Show ready to roar around the world. 26 November 2021. RTÉ News and Current Affairs. 26 November 2021.
  204. Web site: It's Toy Show night and Tubridy is bringing 'no worries' mantra into homes with Lion King theme. 26 November 2021. The Journal. 26 November 2021.
  205. Web site: Late Late Toy Show is back with call-out for live audience tickets. 17 October 2021. Irish Independent. 2 November 2021.
  206. Web site: The Late Late Toy Show Ticket Call-out. 15 October 2021. RTÉ News and Current Affairs. 2 November 2021.
  207. Web site: Watch: Here's the first fun trailer for the Late Late Toy Show!!. 13 November 2021. RTÉ News and Current Affairs. 16 November 2021.
  208. Web site: ‘Stay up late..it’s worth it!’ – Late Late Toy Show promo released. 13 November 2021. Irish Independent. 16 November 2021.
  209. Web site: Everything you need to know about The Late Late Toy Show 2021. 23 November 2021. RTÉ News and Current Affairs. 24 November 2021.
  210. Web site: And tonight's Toy Show theme is.... 26 November 2021. RTÉ News and Current Affairs. 26 November 2021.
  211. News: RTE viewers all saying the same thing about Late Late Toy Show opening number. Dublin Live. Roisin. Cullen. 26 November 2021. 27 November 2021.
  212. News: Viewers hail Late Late Toy Show 'legend' Finn. RTÉ News and Current Affairs. 26 November 2021. 27 November 2021.
  213. News: DJ Calum and hype man Jackson pump up Toy Show volume. RTÉ News and Current Affairs. 26 November 2021. 27 November 2021.
  214. News: Ed Sheeran makes surprise Toy Show return. RTÉ News and Current Affairs. 27 November 2021. 27 November 2021.
  215. News: Kellie Harrington shares motivating advice on Toy Show. RTÉ News and Current Affairs. 27 November 2021. 27 November 2021.
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  218. Web site: The Late Late Toy Show 2021 roaring success for viewers at home and abroad. RTÉ. 29 November 2021. 29 November 2021.
  219. News: Late Late Toy Show ‘a roaring success’ with €6.6m raised for charity. The Irish Times. Mary. Carolan. 29 November 2021. 29 November 2021.
  220. News: Late Late Toy Show, watched from 152 countries, raises over €6m for Irish charities. BreakingNews.ie. 29 November 2021. 29 November 2021.
  221. News: Toy Show Appeal raises over €6.6m for Irish charities. Irish Examiner. Steve. Neville. Caitlín. Griffin. 29 November 2021. 29 November 2021.
  222. Web site: What Ireland watched in 2021: news and sport dominate TV viewing but ‘Toy Show’ tops charts. 21 December 2021. Irish Independent. 5 January 2022.
  223. Web site: Sport and news dominate Ireland's most watched TV programmes for 2021. 10 December 2021. Irish Examiner. 5 January 2022.
  224. News: Toy Show The Musical is coming to Dublin stage. RTÉ News and Current Affairs. 14 May 2022. 14 May 2022.
  225. News: RTÉ to take on the pantos with launch of Toy Show The Musical. Irish Independent. Eoghan. Moloney. 13 May 2022. 14 May 2022.
  226. News: Late Late Toy Show date confirmed as young stars invited to apply. RTÉ News and Current Affairs. 15 August 2022. 15 August 2022.
  227. News: Watch! Sneak peek at this year's Late Late Toy Show teaser. RTÉ News. 14 November 2022. 14 November 2022.
  228. Web site: No place like home as Late Late Toy Show raises €3.5m for charity. 26 November 2022. RTE News. 28 November 2022.
  229. Web site: Late Late Toy Show reveals Wizard of Oz theme. 25 November 2022. RTE News. 25 November 2022.
  230. Web site: Tubridy urges parents to break out jellies as theme for tonight’s Late Late Toy Show revealed. 25 November 2022. Irish Independent. 25 November 2022.
  231. Web site: Tonight's Late Late Toy Show sees Ryan donning ruby slippers and heading for the Emerald City. 25 November 2022. Journal. 25 November 2022.
  232. Web site: The Late Late Toy Show - as it happened!. 26 November 2022. RTE News. 28 November 2022.
  233. Web site: Every toy from The Late Late Toy Show 2022. 28 November 2022. RTE News. 28 November 2022.
  234. News: Six big Late Late Toy Show moments, including Caoimhin Kelleher and the Woo Woo Man. Irish Examiner. Denise. O'Donoghue. 26 November 2022. 26 November 2022.
  235. News: The Late Late Toy Show's most wonderful moments. RTÉ News. John. Byrne. 26 November 2022. 26 November 2022.
  236. News: The top nine moments from this year's Late Late Toy Show. TheJournal.ie. Jane. Moore. 26 November 2022. 26 November 2022.
  237. Web site: Late Late Toy Show 2022: Live updates as RTE host Ryan Tubridy gets Ireland in Christmas spirit. 25 November 2022. Irish Independent. 28 November 2022.
  238. Web site: Late Late Toy Show was most watched show of the year. 28 November 2022. RTE News. 28 November 2022.
  239. Web site: Claire . Hyland . 'Every house in Ireland shouting at the tele!' Toy Show 'woo man' causes a stir . Evoke.
  240. Web site: Here’s how to get a seat in the Late Late Toy Show audience. 14 October 2023. Irish Independent. 6 November 2023.
  241. Web site: Patrick Kielty's first Late Late Toy Show announced for 24 November. 17 November 2023. The Journal. 17 November 2023.
  242. Web site: To your good Elf! Patrick Kielty reveals tonight's Toy Show theme. 24 November 2023. RTE News. 28 November 2023.
  243. Web site: Toy Show viewers let thoughts be known as they give verdict on Patrick Kielty as host. 24 November 2023. Buzz.ie. 28 November 2023.
  244. Web site: Late Late Toy Show 2023 recap after Patrick Kielty presented his amazing Elf-themed festive debut. 24 November 2023. Buzz.ie. 28 November 2023.
  245. Web site: The Late Late Toy Show - seven magic moments. 25 November 2023. RTE News. 28 November 2023.
  246. Web site: Patrick Kielty is everyone's Buddy as he makes his Toy Show debut. 24 November 2023. RTE News. 28 November 2023.
  247. Web site: The Late Late Toy Show - as it happened!. 24 November 2023. RTE News. 28 November 2023.
  248. Web site: Patrick Kielty’s Toy Show debut draws bigger audience than Ryan Tubridy’s final outing. 27 November 2023. Irish Independent. 28 November 2023.
  249. Web site: Kielty hails 'a forever night' as 1.7 million watch Toy Show. 27 November 2023. RTE News. 28 November 2023.
  250. Web site: Late Late Toy Show Individual Spot Buys & Audience Prize Giveaway 2023. 3 October 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231003133033/https://mediasales.rte.ie/opportunities/rte-late-late-toy-show-2023/. 3 October 2023.

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