Comedian Fred Cooke has revealed he was one of the few people who didn’t want Tommy Tiernan to be the next host of The Late Late Show.
The Meath comic feared he’d be out of a job if Tommy landed the gig when Ryan Tubridy stepped down after 14 years at the helm.
Fred told us that he hopes to be back working on Tommy’s show this winter – as he reveals he is the "happiest guy in town" that Tiernan isn’t the new Late Late Show host.
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He said: "I hope so. I think so. Nothing surprises me but I think I am (coming back). I’m definitely the happiest guy in town to know that he (Tommy) is not doing The Late Late Show.
"I’m so used to working with him that I would be out of a job if he does it.
"I’d be ringing him up saying ‘Tommy, don’t do The Late Late Show’," he said laughing.
Asked if he knew whether or not Tommy wanted to take over from Ryan Tubridy, Fred admitted: "I don’t know. I honestly couldn’t tell you. I do think he has his own thing going on, which he is very comfortable at. It’s his own idea and success for him."
Fred admitted Tiernan would've been a good host of The Late Late Show.
"He would be good at it, definitely. He can do serious and funny which you need to be able to change every half hour on the Late Late Show."
But Fred said Patrick Kielty will be brilliant as host of the Friday night chat show.
"I think he will be brilliant and nothing against the prior host of The Late Late Show but I just think it is going to be great for comedians because he knows how to pass the ball with the jokes.
"He won’t ruin the jokes. He is highly intelligent and he is very politically aware.
"When he was on The Tommy Tiernan Show, he was brilliant because he wasn’t afraid to go on. Some comedians - and I suffer from this as well - just try to be funny all the time. But he’s comfortable in himself.
"He can just be in the moment. To be in the moment is a big ask and very few people can actually do it, especially when you’re listening to someone or talking to someone to just sit back and let them speak.
"I think he is going to be phenomenally brilliant as well."
The Tommy Tiernan Show returns this winter with a host of new surprise guests.
Fred – who performs this Friday in Dolans in Limerick - said he finds out who guests are at around 6.30pm before filming starts at 8pm but he avoids running into Tommy in the RTE corridor and doesn’t share the same make-up room as him.
He said: "I haven’t a clue. I find out about half six and I wouldn’t meet Tommy until I go out into the studio.
"I purposely don’t talk to him. I’ve often told my agent, 'if you get wind of a guest don’t tell me.' Like Dara O’Briain and myself have the same agent, you wouldn’t think it but we do. When he came into the green room, I knew Dara was a guest.
"But I don’t want to know. I don’t want any leaks. I don’t want to give away anything by accident.
"I’ll go to make-up at half six. Tommy has his own make-up so he doesn’t go to the make-up room. I’ll find out in make-up who the first guest is. I remember Gabriel Byrne was beside me. You know he’s not there for mass on Sunday.
"We start filming at around 8pm and I’ll find out at around 6:15pm."
Fred was speaking at the launch of the Paddy Power Comedy Festival, which kicks off July 27 until July 30 at the Iveagh Gardens in Dublin.
This year’s festival is packed to the rafters with home-grown talent including household names such as Tommy Tiernan, Dara O’Briain, Deirdre O’Kane, Jason Byrne, Gearoid Farrelly, Jarlath Regan, Enya Martin, Kevin McAleer, Fred Cooke, Dirtbirds, Kevin McGahern and Neil Delamare.
Emerging acts like Fiona Frawley, Sinead Quinlan and online comedy stars like Tony Cantwell, Emma Doran, Killian Sundermann, Justine Stafford, Sean Burke and Michael Fry will also perform at the festival for the first time.
Bren Berry, of Aiken Promotions, said: "It was a joy to return to the stunning Iveagh Gardens for last year’s amazing comedy festival with our new title sponsors Paddy Power.
"Aiken Promotions are delighted to continue that partnership which helps us to deliver a world class festival which proudly supports and celebrates the very best of Irish and international talent in such a beautiful environment in the heart of Dublin City."
Tickets for the Paddy Power Comedy Festival, which is a strictly over-18s only event, are on sale Thursday June 15 at 10am and are sold on a show-by-show basis.
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