Late Late Toy Show: Everything you need to know

The Late Late Toy Show has been called many things in its nearly five-decade history, but first-time host Patrick Kielty has come up with a new description, dubbing it the “Irish Thanksgiving”. It’s true that the annual pre-Christmas broadcast had seen its share of turkeys – but enough about the Pat Kenny years, what’s in store for the 2023 edition? Read on to discover more.

When is it on?

The Late Late Toy Show begins on RTÉ One at 9.35pm on Friday.

What’s the theme?

The unofficial theme is: can RTÉ banish the ghosts of Toy Shows past – ie the Ryan Tubridy payment scandal and Toy Show: The Musical debacle? But officially, the 2023 edition is inspired by the Will Ferrell comedy Elf, which marks its 20th anniversary this year. In that movie, Ferrell played an over-grown man-child lost in a strange and forbidding new world. Any comparison to Kielty adjusting to life in Montrose will be purely coincidental.

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The main Studio 4 set will be inspired by Central Park in New York, as featured prominently in Elf. There will also be winks towards the movie’s Candy Cane Forest and Toy Shop – though presumably, Kielty won’t be singing the now-cancelled Baby It’s Cold Outside, as Ferrell does in the original.

[ Late Late Toy Show: Patrick Kielty awaits the verdict of his ‘fiercest critics’ - his kids ]

Will there be singing and dancing?

Whatever about Baby It’s Cold Outside, expect the traditional conveyor belt of song-and-dance. RTÉ says 170 performers and toy testers will participate in 2023 – around the same number of people who paid for tickets to Toy Show: The Musical.

It will help that Kielty is no slouch when it comes to belting out a tune – as viewers learned when he pitched in on the Late Late Country Music Special a few weeks ago. That said, Kielty has advised audiences to temper expectations.

“Based on my recent performance with Daniel O’Donnell, there is a chance that I will never be allowed sing and dance in RTÉ again,” he said. “We have some amazing performances, definitely a few costume changes. There will be singing and dancing but whether it’s me singing and dancing has yet to be seen.”

Any special guests?

Has anyone seen Ed Sheeran in the vicinity of Dublin Airport? The ginger strummer was the last truly big star to grace the Toy Show – for his troubles, one kid told him he was on the radio too much. Kielty has promised some “lovely surprises” this year. Let’s see who turns up.

What about the toys?

In a press conference, Kielty promised a selection of “wonderful” toys. RTÉ has revealed that the broadcast will feature Squishmallows, LEGO, Gabby’s Dollhouse, Bluey, Goo Jit Zu, Cookeez Makery, Biggies, Beast Lab, and Barbie Campervan.

Sustainable toy options will include Bio-glitter, PlayMais set, Geomag Race Track, Bio Buddi set, Green Beedz, and TOYI Upcycling Craft Kit. Cost-effective toy options include Barbie Fashionista Dolls, ALDI Littletown Christmas Soft Stretchy toys and a toy DeLonghi Barista Coffee Machine. Irish toys to feature include Arckit, CubeFun, 3D Model Croke Park, Little Angel Dollhouse and Holotoyz Tattoos, Antics Board Game, and a Bainisteoir Board Game.

I’m an elf who has just fallen off the shelf – give me the basics about the Late Late Toy Show.

The first Late Late Toy Show was in 1975 when it was a half-hour segment presented by Gay Byrne to help parents stumped as to what to buy their kids for Christmas. It has grown and grown and is now one of the biggest dates in Irish broadcasting, with 1.8 million tuning in live in 2021 – a staggering 81 per cent of people watching at the time, and a big jump even over 2020, when 1.5 million people, or 59 per cent of the available audience, tuned in live.