The Late Late Show (season 47)

Before the season began presenter Pat Kenny had been reluctant to sign up for the show again.[3]

The opening episode of the season was broadcast from the Wexford Opera House on 5 September 2008.[4] Guests included the Taoiseach Brian Cowen,[5][6]

In the first of a number of incidents related to phone-in competitions, on 12 September 2008, Kenny attempted to give away an Austrian family holiday to a viewer. Encountering an unenthusiastic response from the winner, and aided by a joke from the comedian Jimmy Carr which referred to the timing of the prize with the revelations contained in the Fritzl case, the presenter then broke down in a fit of laughter live on air. The humorous incident has since achieved cult status on YouTube and other sites.[7]

The comedian Tom O'Connor made his fourteenth appearance on the show in this episode.[8]

Gerry Ryan famously presented the 24 October 2008 show in the absence of regular host Pat Kenny

The Gerry Ryan edition of The Late Late Show featured, among other guests, the stand-up comedian Tommy Tiernan. Tiernan made what was the latest in a series of appearances on the show to have provoked debate and given cause for complaint. On the show Tiernan made reference to a man left severely disabled by a motorcycle accident and spoke a joke involving an act of sexual intercourse with a Traveller. A number of viewers, including the mother of a boy with Down syndrome and a road crash victim, took offence to Tiernan's joke about a disabled man in Saint Michael's Rehabilitation Hospital, Dún Laoghaire, from whom the comedian was attempting to purchase a motorbike. Tiernan's punchline was that the man could not accept his payment as he had no grip. There were complaints over the comedian's acting "spasticated" and in a "mocking fashion which can only be described as grossly insulting". The Traveller support organisation, Pavee Point took offence at Tiernan's remarks about having sex with a Traveller, accusing him of acting "in a disgusting, outrageous and racist way" and criticising him for suggesting that Travellers were in some way "unclean, possibly stupid and sexually promiscuous". RTÉ defended its guest by stating that Tiernan's Irish humour was a celebration of the diversity of modern Ireland, the practice of "insulting people in a humorous way". The Broadcasting Complaints Commission (BCC) upheld eight "derogatory" and "totally inappropriate" complaints against the show and criticised Ryan for "actively engaging" and "egging on" the comedian.[9]

A controversy involving the granddaughter of actor Andrew Sachs (above) led to a performance on The Late Late Show which was disagreeable to some members of the general public.

A Late Late appearance by the dance troupe, Satanic Sluts on 21 November 2008 led to what an RTÉ spokesperson described as a significant number of complaints by viewers. The group became known in the neighbouring country of the United Kingdom following a controversial incident involving telephone calls made by two previously highly regarded BBC broadcasters later punished for their actions. One of the group's performers was Georgina Baillie who had recently been on the receiving end of the telephone messages which were broadcast on national radio in her country. Baillie was interviewed by Pat Kenny, speaking of her disgust at the prank calls and the effect they had on her grandfather, the Fawlty Towers actor Andrew Sachs. She then took part in a risque performance entitled the "Robot Routine" with the other two girls which provoked the complaints.[10]

On 30 January 2009,[16] Ian Paisley and his wife Eileen appeared on The Late Late Show to discuss his teetotalism and his refusal to go to the cinema unless the film was about Oliver Cromwell.[17]

Andrea Bocelli was a guest.[27]

Guests included Carosel.[28]

On 20 March 2009, a number of senators appeared on the show to debate on a proposal to abolish Seanad Éireann.[29] Journalists John Drennan and Ian O'Doherty also spoke.[29] It was the first time such a large amount of senators had appeared on television together.[29]

Pat Kenny unexpectedly announced a "bit of news" - his resignation as host - live on air on 27 March 2009, saying he had discussed the decision with his family and that "all good things must come to an end".[30][31]

Roy Keane (left) revealed a lack of interest on The Late Late Show, while TD John McGuinness (right) used the occasion to criticise the Tánaiste.

When TD John McGuinness appeared on The Late Late Show on 24 April 2009, he criticised Ireland's Tánaiste Mary Coughlan for her part in his not being reappointed as a Minister of State. Taoiseach Brian Cowen had earlier asked all the Ministers of State to resign, with a smaller number to be reappointed as part of the government's emergency budget. Cowen later denied claims that Coughlan had "issued an ultimatium [sic] that if Mr McGuinness did not go, she would".[32]

Roy Keane's interview for The Late Late Show aired on 1 May 2009. Keane spoke of his managerial role at Ipswich Town, Cristiano Ronaldo, Eamon Dunphy and informed Pat (and the nation) that he had "very little interest in what happens at United".[33] Keane also revealed that he spoke no more with his former manager Alex Ferguson, saying they had a "disagreement".[34]

On 22 May 2009, "Trouble with a Capital T" was performed by The Troublemakers, a group of Irish musicians which included members of The Blizzards, Republic of Loose, Brian Hogan, Kevin Godley and some former members of Horslips, who are the original performers of the song, which came together to release a charity single.[35]

Host Pat Kenny (seen here visibly clutching his sides after encountering unexpected obstacles while trying to give away the prize of a family holiday in Austria at the start of this season) bowed out months later.

On 29 May 2009, Kenny presented his last edition of The Late Late Show as regular host (he returned for one night in 2013 when his successor was unavailable). An outdoor event was set up for the occasion on the RTÉ campus. At the end of the show, Joe Duffy presented Kenny with a cake in the shape of a "10", to mark his ten years of presenting. The Edge of U2 also gave Kenny glasses and a guitar.[36] The number of viewers who tuned in to watch the last show peaked at 996,000, with an average share of 55 per cent of the total TV audience.[37]

The 2008 Toy Show aired on 28 November 2008.[38]

Tribute shows to Boyzone, Joe Dolan and GAA 125 aired this season.

The 2009 Eurosong Final was held on The Late Late Show on 20 February.[39] Six acts performed live on the show after which the public and a panel of four juries in Cork, Limerick, Sligo and Dublin chose the country's representative for the contest.[40] The studio's expert panel featured Jerry Springer, Linda Martin and Marty Whelan.[41] There were allegations of rule-breaking prior to the show when one entry was posted on YouTube.[42] RTÉ prefers that none of the songs are made public until it says so, and the offending song was quickly removed from the site.[42] The winning song was "Et Cetera", performed by Sinéad Mulvey and Black Daisy.[43][44]

• Official website
• A history of Pat Kenny on The Late Late Show - Irish Independent
• Video of Pat Kenny's resignation announcement