Pat Kenny, knowing me, knowing you, AHAA!!!
Some people will be delighted. Some will be quietly disappointed. But either way Pat Kenny has thrown in the towel. “All good things must come to an end”, said Pat.
And with that, as announced on tonight’s show, his tenure of The Late Late Show comes to a close at the end of the current season.
He said he had come to the decision in consultation with his family and that “it had been a joy to present the show for almost ten years”. He added that, “he was stepping down at a time when the viewing figures were at an all-time high”. Recession anyone?
Pat did however hint that he would be moving to present another TV show in the autumn, but gave no further details of this. Paddy Power have since suspended betting on who will be the next chairman of Questions & Answers, now John Bowman has announced he intends to step down. Make of that what you will.
I wonder will he take a further pay cut? Word is that Pat has lost his shirt on bank shares. Pat is ‘battered and bruised’ apparently. Is that anything to do with his decision?
Is he sick of the abuse, and more abuse, and the stalkers?
At least now he can relax and enjoy that plot of land at the back of his garden.
Anyway… the show will go on…
Pat made sure to thank his audience for their support and wished the best of luck to his successor.
My money’s on Dara O’Briain.
UPDATE: The bookies have Ryan Tubridy installed as favourite for the gig @2/1. Miriam O’Callaghan @11/4, followed by Gerry Ryan 5/1 and Dara O’Briain @10/1. Interesting to see our very own Rick O’Shea in at 66/1. What do you say Rick? Worth a fiver?!?
You can watch Pat make the announcement live on air here.
I heard the news last night and nearly creamed.
Our luck is not nearly good enough to get Dara. I’ll wager a whole year’s money that we get Gerry Ryan.
They couldn’t let Ryan do it after the time he guest presented, he was truly awful.
If they give that eejit tubs the slot I’ll eat my hat.
I purposely didn’t watch that, but his smugness knows no bounds.
If he does get it, I’ll gate crash the show with a belt of live leprosy attached to my chest ready to go off all over him.
Best news in ages!
My arse!!
Wooohooo! He’s gone. Woop! Shout it from the rooftops…yay!!!! Ding Dong! The Witch is dead. Which old Witch? The Wicked Witch!
Ahem…
Keep track of his departure at
http://www.ispatkennygoneyet.com
Good riddance to that plank!
Dara O Brian would be a legendary presenter for the late late.
2 possible outcomes though:
1. He reforms the show, adds a sense of life to it again, the comedy cheers us all up.
or
2. Higher ups with the late late tell Dara to “tone it down” after a few weeks in which the show will turn to shits or Dara will just leave being the smart man he is.
To be honest, Ryan Tubridy is entertaining. He is willing to take the piss out of himself, and he actually talks to his guests, whereas Kenny asked a question to his guest and then answered it two milliseconds later.
Either Ryan or Dara get the job and I would be more than happy, as would alot of others aswell.
So the Plank is walking, woooo hooooo.
I think John Kelly (the View) is perfect. He can interview anyone about anything. Or failing that, Marian Kanootsin who is a good interviewer and has no time for bullshitters.
pat kenny is gonna be great at this new current affairs show(lets call it questions and answers since it basically will be it), no one ever criticised his skill in that field.
it’ll probably be tubridy anyways
I’m with B’ for once
I’d be quietly optimistic about the new current affairs show.
Paddy Power have Ryan T at evens and Miriam O’Callaghan at 5-4.
Sadly I’ve now slipped to 100-1…
I do think Pat doing a new current affairs show will work… as long as he isn’t doing the satire bits. I wonder though how his ego will cope with what will essentially be a step down.
Also, with the benefit of hindsight, I now don’t think there’s a snowball’s chance in hell that Dara O’Briain will be offerd the gig. Too expensive in the current climate, especially when there are enough RTE presenters on the big money already.
Therefore I shall re-evaluate and go with Tubridy to be slipped to Friday nights fronting a similar format and Miriam O’Callaghan to get a new Saturday night gig.
As long as Gerry Ryan doesn’t come within an asses roar of either shows I’ll be happy.
Oh and Rick… sometimes the 100/1 shot wins the Grand National. Not often mind but sometimes!
I dont know NaRoc, that happens only if all the other runners get felled by a loose
gunhorse rampaging unchecked towards the finish line.Any takers?
Pat was a good current affairs presenter and will be again…he was a fish out of water but he did a pretty good job, the Irish audience figures simply dont attract A list celebs so the quality of the show has suffered for this as much as any reason. As a format, the ‘Late show’ has had it’s day and should die with Pat’s exit.
Des
I agree about the lack of A-list celebrities thing Des. And also worth bearing in mind that culture has changed significantly since Gay’s heyday in the 80′s. Every halfwit has an agent and a PR person. It’s a different cultural climate, more to do with book sales than revelationary guests.
I also agree that Pat did a good job. Granted he was shit with kids (and glamourous women to a certain extent, oh and people like Pete Doherty) but he held it together and ratings are still very high.
There’s still no show like it anywhere else. Over 2 hours of live, unscripted TV. Jonathan Ross or Parkinson are/were pre-recorded format pieces with A-list stars. Both were edited. I’d love to see how they’d get on doing the mish mash that is the Late LAte Show. I’d say they’d run screaming from the building.
But on the point of letting the Late Late die with Pat’s exit. Won’t happen. And shouldn’t happen. I feel that strangely enough it still has a place, a certain relevance. A public sphere.
It does need freshening up tho.