Patrick Kielty: Reshaping Irish Television While Breaking New Ground in 2025

A Year of Professional Triumph and Personal Change

Patrick Kielty, the Northern Irish comedian and presenter who took over as host of RTÉ’s The Late Late Show in 2023, continues to make his mark as the show’s fourth permanent presenter while maintaining his presence on BBC Radio 5 Live.

Professional Achievements

Kielty’s role as Late Late Show host comes with a three-year contract worth €250,000 per season for 30 episodes, plus a one-time €20,000 payment for pre-production and rehearsals. In a notable gesture, he waived all flight and accommodation expenses.

His tenure has already seen significant success, with the Home Alone themed Late Late Toy Show breaking viewing records with over 1.6 million viewers. His debut show in September 2023 attracted an impressive 830,000 viewers and generated 158,000 streams on the RTÉ Player.

Personal Developments

In a significant personal development, Kielty and his wife, television presenter Cat Deeley, announced their separation in July 2025, ending a marriage that began in Rome in 2012. The couple have two children together, born in 2016 and 2018.

Expanding Portfolio

Despite his broadcasting commitments, Kielty continues to perform, with 2025 seeing him return to the stage with additional dates of his sell-out stand-up tour, ‘Borderline’. His career achievements include several award-winning documentaries and films, including the BAFTA-nominated ‘My Dad, The Peace Deal and Me’ and ‘Patrick Kielty: 100 Years of Union’.

Looking Forward

Since taking over as host, The Late Late Show has undergone several changes, including a reduction in running time to 90 minutes per episode, while maintaining the traditional two-hour slot for the Toy Show. The number of episodes per season has been adjusted to 30.