Ryan Tubridy admitted he is 'nervous' and 'emotional' ahead of his first Late Late Show in front of the biggest live audience since the pandemic hit.
Following the lifting of restrictions, RTE announced yesterday the chat show will welcome back the biggest live audience in two years this Friday.
And 'excited' host Tubridy went on to reveal the audience will be just shy of 200 people - almost full capacity.
Speaking on his RTE 1 radio show on Friday morning, he said: “I’m very excited today tonight on the Late Late Show we have our biggest audience attendance for two years.
"We will have just shy of 200 souls looking at us in the crowd.
“I am nervous, I am excited and I am a little bit emotional about it.”
“Because the people that you see in front of you are, to me, a representative sample of people at home. And there are hundreds of thousands of people watching, we hope, and we know thankfully.
“And equally they are represented by the people, and everyone dresses up and makes an effort and looks great and in great form and it is an extraordinary vibe in that studio when there are people there."
Announcing the audience return on Thursday, RTE said: “On this Friday night's Late Late Show, it is with great pleasure to welcome back our largest audience for the first time in almost two years with open arms.
“Friday night’s audience will include people from all walks of life including rugby fans, frontline workers, teachers, hairdressers and more from all corners of the country which promises to be a stellar night of entertainment.”
And Tubridy joked he was channelling Celine Dion ahead of the highly anticipated return, referencing her hit song.
“To be quite honest, I have quietly forgotten what it feels like, it has been that quiet. That sound and that thrill, it is all coming back to me now, Celine Dion, so it will be fun.”
Irish sports stars lead the Late Late Show line-up this week.
Rugby stars Jamie Heaslip, Peter Stringer, Fiona Coghlan, footballer Mary Hulgraine, and Toy Show star Úna Walsh will be among the guests in the studio with host Ryan Tubridy this week.
As the Irish rugby teams prepare for this year's Six Nations campaign, Ryan will be chatting to Grand Slam winners Jamie Heaslip, Peter Stringer and Fiona Coghlan about Ireland's prospects in this year's men and women's competitions.
They will discuss how playing in front of a full crowd is the boost they need, and the current situation with the women's game after that letter.
Kildare GAA All-Star footballer Mary Hulgraine will be on the show to discuss how she kicked her addiction to Oxycontin and alcohol to make a return to the Kildare Senior Women's team.
The show will also catch up with 14-year-old harpist Úna Walsh, who inspired children all over the country when she performed on last year’s Late Late Toy Show.
Úna, and her mother Barbara, will share her extraordinary story about living with her hearing impairment and how new technology has transformed her life.
There will be music from Maverick Sabre who will perform music from his new album.
- The Late Late Show, RTÉ One, Friday, January 28th at 9:35pm.
