Ryan Tubridy says he was 'too young' for Late Late Show job at 31
Ryan Tubridy has revealed the incredible moment he discovered he'd be taking over as the Late Late Show host.The former RTÉ star admitted that while landing the gig was amongst the highlights of his career, he sometimes wishes it had come later in life, reports RSVP Live."Pat Kenny left the Late Late Show. I remember watching it that night. My phone went, 'You're up next,' but I said, 'No I'm not, I'm too young.' I was about 31 at the time," Ryan recalled.He explained that several seasoned broadcasters were also being considered for the position, including Miriam O'Callaghan and Gerry Ryan. Interestingly, Patrick Kielty's name was floated around during this period as well."Some of them were called in for discussions, and by discussions I mean one conversation which was, 'Why do you think you should present the Late Late Show?' I said it was the town square and you're the mayor. You're bringing everyone together to say how was the week. And it's Ireland."Eventually, Ryan received a call requesting a meeting with RTÉ's Director General and Head of TV. "I presumed they were just going to say thanks a million and they were going to give the job to somebody else... I was really happy where I was. I wasn't expecting it."To his astonishment, Ryan was informed he'd secured the position. He was initially permitted to share the news only with his parents and closest family members."It really was amazing," he shared on the Talking Bollox Podcast. "If I'm being really honest with you, I wish I got it five years after, I think I needed a bit more experience of life under my belt.... I was happy doing Tubridy Tonight, there was nothing wrong with it, it was the cheeky younger brother of the Late Late Show, I was enjoying the role. Once you got the Late Late, you had to put on that suit, it was grown up television."It was a lot of responsibility and I am not very responsible. I had a lot of giddiness left in me before I got to full adulthood in TV terms."Ryan admitted that his travel experiences were limited at that time, and he felt somewhat sheltered due to his schooling and university environment.After gaining more knowledge about Ireland, interacting with diverse individuals and travelling, he believed he matured significantly as a presenter. "By the time I was a few years into the Late Late, I had settled in and thought, 'I've got it'."Ryan emphasised that the show continues to be a significant part of Irish culture, noting that even big Hollywood names like Colin Farrell and Michael Fassbender often confessed to feeling nervous about appearing on the Late Late despite their experiences on major US talk shows.According to Ryan, this is because they know everyone back home will be tuning in."It's a 60 year old institution that is part and parcel of who we are. It's massive," he added.Want to see more of the stories you love from Dublin Live? Making us your preferred source on Google means you’ll get more of our exclusives, top stories and must-read content straight away. To add Dublin Live as a preferred source, simply click here.
