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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Entertainment
Katie Gallagher

Who is on the Late Late Show with Ryan Tubridy? RTE to host special fundraiser for Ukraine with Christy Dignam

The Late Late Show will be dedicated to the Irish Red Cross fundraising appeal for Ukraine this week after viewers requests.

The stars of Aslan, Róisín Murphy and Alan Cumming will be among the guests for Friday's special, which aims to help raise vital funds for the cause.

An RTE statement said: "With the war in Ukraine, this week’s RTÉ Late Late Show will be dedicated to the Irish Red Cross fundraising appeal for Ukraine to help raise vital funds for humanitarian assistance for those directly impacted by the disaster.

"Ryan will also speak with Ukrainians living in Ireland about their concerns and worries for their families who are still in Ukraine."

Dublin band Aslan will be performing in support of the fundraiser and will reflect on the crisis as will singer/songwriter Róisín Murphy who has postponed two dates in Russia.

Hollywood actor Circle of Friends star Alan Cumming will also share his thoughts on the current situation.

Host Ryan Tubridy revealed the show has been organised due to calls from fans and viewers who want to do their bit to help those in need.

He told his RTE Radio 1 listeners on Thursday morning: “The Late Late Show tomorrow night we have pivoted as they say these days, to turn the show into a fundraiser into essentially a humanitarian response to Ukraine.

“The Irish Red Cross are going to partner with us. Their appeal was so striking and their appeal was ‘please stop sending stuff we just need financial donations’."

The presenter said he was ’really struck’ by the engagement of Irish people in this story, and said the show was something viewers and fans had been messaging them to consider.

“This is really a complete response to you and your, not so much demands for this, but certainly a sense that you would love the Late Late Show to be used in this way for such a cause. Everyone seems to have been taken by this story.

“I don’t know a sinner who is not watching it and listening to it. Maybe too much something because it is relentless, but the point is it is engagement and absolute attachment to this story. I don’t know why but we might get to the bottom of it tomorrow.

“We will talk to Ukrainains living in Ireland and people with stories to tell. And we will give voice to them on the show.

He also credited the planned guests for the show for wanting to take part in the dedicated show, adding: “And the guests we had booked for the show as it happens all have something to say and have very decently said ‘no, we will go with this’.”

He went on: “So we say to you, tune it and you can do what you can, you may not want do anything, but you will hear stories and can help out in the war effort frankly.

“It will be a show unlike any other because it will be based on this awful war in Ukraine.”

The Late Late Show, RTÉ One, Friday, March 4th at 9:35 pm.

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