Patrick Kielty will be hoping country music fans can boost Late Late Show viewing figures ahead of a special edition of the programme this weekend.
Details of guests for the country music special on Friday are still under wraps while a dip in the chat show’s latest audience numbers are being scrutinised.
The latest details from RTÉ say that 486,000 people watched the last episode, after a peak viewership for Kielty’s debut episode of 940,000 and a 33% drop to 548,000 the following week.
With 48,000 streams on the RTÉ Player, the total viewership was 534,000, with a 45% audience share on television down from 51% on the previous week and 62% for the first episode.
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A spokesperson for RTÉ commented: “Friday night's Late Late Show featuring guests including Mick Lynch, Rob Delaney, Nina Carberry, Carl Frampton, Joe Wicks, and Fig O’Reilly and had an average audience of 486,000 (RTÉ One, RTÉ One +1) a 45% audience share, with a further 48,000 streams on RTÉ Player to date.
"This week, Patrick Kielty will host his very first Late Late Country Special.”
Last week's guests included "the fittest line-up ever" with former jockey Nina Carberry, ex-boxer Carl Frampton and a last minute addition of The 'Body Coach' Joe Wicks.
Frampton discussed his new autobiography and fallout with his former mentor Barry McGuigan, but some commentators questioned why Kielty had not pressed him on defending his time with the MTK boxing management firm, founded by crime cartel boss Daniel Kinahan.
In another interview with the Sunday World, Frampton maintained he had no regrets.
“It’s not that I don’t care. Obviously, I’ve got a heart, but I was a boxer focusing on boxing and they managed my boxing career very well," he said.
Last week's Late Late episode also featured an emotional interview with actor Rob Delaney who discussed the death of his young son Henry from cancer.
Noting how Henry had died on his father's birthday, Kielty shared that it had also been his brother's birthday when their father was killed by loyalist paramilitaries in 1988.
"It's been a long time since I lost my dad and I know it's not long since you lost Henry. I just want to say to you there might be a day when you're able to celebrate a birthday again and celebrate your life and Henry's life as well," he said.
