The wife of the late Gay Byrne has said it is a “very big deal” for Patrick Kielty to be hosting the Late Late Show.
Kathleen Watkins reacted to Patrick Kielty being announced as the new host of the Late Late Show after Ryan Tubridy steps down this Friday.
She said: “I think it is a very big deal for Patrick. I’m sure he will be very good. He is young enough, he’s old enough and he’s experienced talking to people and so on but I think it might be a very different deal in 2023.
READ MORE: Ryan Tubridy gives his verdict on RTE Late Late Show replacement Patrick Kielty
"The audiences have changed, it’s a different generation but again, he’s old enough and young enough and I’m sure he will handle it very well.
“But it is a very big deal. It is coming at you down the line, every single week.
“I read in the paper yesterday that he lives in London and will be commuting. I know RTE is loaded with very artistic and talented people, and they have a very good team here but nevertheless you’re the face and you’re out there sitting on the chair talking to people.
“The other thing is that people are often very hooked up on big names.. in my book and I’m just a viewer, big names don’t often deliver. Very often a man on the street who has a very interesting story can really make it," she told RTE Radio 1.
Paying tribute to her beloved late husband Gay while he hosted the Late Late Show for 37 years, Kathleen said: “He had terrific energy and a very clear good brain. I often think now when I see things on television, I can almost hear him saying that’s too long or there’s nobody in charge or everybody is speaking too fast.”
Kathleen also spoke about if the show should be shortened, saying the audiences get their entertainment differently now.
“2023, I feel we are in a different time. All I can do is text and see texts but everybody is into all this other stuff with their iPads and so on and all the podcasting so I think the audiences are being divided into different areas and going to different places for their entertainment if you like so I feel like it’s different times.”
Kathleen said her late legendary husband Gay would’ve approved the new hiring of Kielty, she said: “Oh absolutely of course he would and he would probably say he’s young, he can cope with it.”
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