The Late Late Show (season 53)
# The Late Late Show (season 53)

The 53rd season of the Irish television programme, The Late Late Show, the world's longest-running chat show, began on 5 September 2014 and is expected to conclude in May 2015. Ryan Tubridy's sixth season as host, it airs on RTÉ One each Friday evening from 21:30.

Local guests this season included Bosco, Bono and The Edge, Tánaiste Joan Burton, Alan Shatter (months after his resignation as minister for justice), Des O'Malley, Francis Brennan, Liz O'Donnell, Micheál Martin and Dustin the Turkey. A panel debate on Irish Water in October was followed by an interview with Anti-Austerity Alliance TD Paul Murphy in February, after which Tubridy's style of questioning came in for much criticism. A trio of Gleesons (Brendan, Domhnall and Brian) were interviewed on the same night in December.

International guests interviewed this season included Eva Longoria, Alan Rickman, Dominic West, Ryan O'Neal, Russell Crowe and Richard E. Grant (the latter alongside Gabriel Byrne). English actors Michael Palin and John Cleese, both of the comedy troupe Monty Python, were interviewed over consecutive episodes in December.

The season closed with a dance special and a tribute by Giles, Brady and Dunphy to Bill O'Herlihy after his death earlier that week.

## Sponsorship

Sky Broadband sponsored the show for a second year.

## Declining audience ratings

Audience ratings declined considerably (at one point even The Saturday Night Show attracted more viewers).

## Sinéad O'Connor

The singer used her appearance this season (21 November edition) to call for non-violent revolution. She did so from Tubridy's chair, having convinced him to swap places with her.

## Paul Murphy interview

On 20 February 2015, Tubridy interviewed Anti-Austerity Alliance TD Paul Murphy in relation to the campaign against the implementation of a water tax. The interview proved frustrating, with many expressing annoyance at the tone and some of the questions asked. Opponents of the water tax praised Murphy on social media for what was said to have been his restraint during the interview. Much commentary was critical of Tubridy. Murphy himself described his encounter with Tubridy as "an exercise in badgering and trying to make me responsible for things that are nothing to do with me", a reference to Tubridy's attempts to link him to a protests against President Michael D. Higgins which he said he had nothing to do with. Julien Mercille, the academic and writer of The Political Economy and Media Coverage of the European Economic Crisis: The Case of Ireland, observed that "Tubridy was pretty good from the standpoint of protecting government interests. [...] He asked all the right questions to try to discredit the water charges protests and Paul Murphy".

* http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/television/ryan-oneal-interview-shocks-crowe-and-late-late-viewers-31085447.html

## Special editions

The Late Late Toy Show took place on 28 November.

A Valentine's Day edition aired on 13 February 2015 attracted an extraordinary number of complaints. One of the show's guests, Ronan O'Gara, even talked about "getting up on Jessica"; Tubridy covered his mouth in shock upon hearing this vulgarity. O'Gara later admitted he had drunk two coffees and nothing else before the interview.

Eurosong took place on 27 February 2015.

The final episode of the season was a charity dancing special. It did, however, manage to work in a tribute by Giles, Brady and Dunphy to Bill O'Herlihy after his death earlier that week (others like George Hamilton and Après Match's Risteárd Cooper were spoken to as members of the audience).

## Episode list

| No. | Original air date | Guest(s) | Musical/entertainment guest(s) |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1 | 5 September 2014 (2014-09-05) | Maria Walsh (2014 Rose of Tralee) | Interskalactic |
| 2 | 12 September 2014 (2014-09-12) | The Script | The Script |
| 3 | 19 September 2014 (2014-09-19) | Tom Vaughan-Lawlor | Sharon Corr |
| 4 | 26 September 2014 (2014-09-26) | Kelly McDonagh Mongan and family | Margo |
| 5 | 3 October 2014 (2014-10-03) | Ed Sheeran | Ed Sheeran |
| 6 | 10 October 2014 (2014-10-10) | Majella O'Donnell | The Riptide Movement |
| 7 | 17 October 2014 (2014-10-17) | Emily Ratajkowski | Mary Black |
| 8 | 24 October 2014 (2014-10-24) | Bono and The Edge | Bono and The Edge |
| 9 | 31 October 2014 (2014-10-31) | Brian O'Driscoll | Music from Grease |
| 10 | 7 November 2014 (2014-11-07) | Eva Longoria | Madness |
| The Longoria interview was recorded in advance on 4 November ||||
| 11 | 14 November 2014 (2014-11-14) | Saoirse Ronan | HomeTown |
| 12 | 21 November 2014 (2014-11-21) | Sinéad O'Connor | The Coronas |
| 13 | 28 November 2014 (2014-11-28) | Various children | TBA |
| The Late Late Toy Show ||||
| 14 | 5 December 2014 (2014-12-05) | Brendan O'Carroll and Jennifer Gibney | Olly Murs |
| 15 | 12 December 2014 (2014-12-12) | Brendan, Domhnall and Brian Gleeson | Imelda May |
| 16 | 19 December 2014 (2014-12-19) | Take That | Take That |
| 17 | 9 January 2015 (2015-01-09) | Michael O'Leary | Celtic Woman |
| First episode using the new Late Late set ||||
| 18 | 16 January 2015 (2015-01-16) | Stephanie Roche | Bay City Rollers |
| 19 | 23 January 2015 (2015-01-23) | Mikey North and Ian Puleston-Davies | TBA |
| 20 | 30 January 2015 (2015-01-30) | Donncha O'Callaghan | Mike Denver |
| 21 | 6 February 2015 (2015-02-06) | Nick Munier, John Walsh from Shebeen on Wheels, Vogue Williams, Kodaline, Maia Dunphy, Siobhan O'Connor, Moe Dunford and Terry McMahon, Father Pierre 'Jalapeno' Pepper | Kodaline |
| 22 | 13 February 2015 (2015-02-13) | Louis Walsh | James Bay, Altan |
| Valentine's Day special ||||
| 23 | 20 February 2015 (2015-02-20) | Marco Pierre White | The Shires and Dónal Lunny |
| 24 | 27 February 2015 (2015-02-27) | Phil Coulter, Mairead Farrell, Panti Bliss and Linda Martin | Phil Coulter and Niamh Kavanagh (performance of Coulter's song "Congratulations") |
| Eurosong 2015 (Marty Whelan also featured and presented from backstage) ||||
| 25 | 6 March 2015 (2015-03-06) | Mary Berry | The Overtones |
| 26 | 13 March 2015 (2015-03-13) | Ibrahim Halawa's sisters | The Kilfenora Céilí Band |
| 27 | 20 March 2015 (2015-03-20) | Maria Walsh (Rose of Tralee) and Adi Roche | Jersey Boys |
| Russell Crowe also performed with the house band ||||
| 28 | 27 March 2015 (2015-03-27) | Barry Cummins and Dearbhail McDonald | HomeTown |
| 29 | 3 April 2015 (2015-04-03) | Liam Cunningham | Paul Brady |
| 30 | 10 April 2015 (2015-04-10) | Jack Reynor and Gerard Barrett | Albert Hammond |
| 31 | 17 April 2015 (2015-04-17) | Michael Lyster | Charley Pride |
| 32 | 24 April 2015 (2015-04-24) | Killian Scott and Peter Coonan | Mamma Mia |
| 33 | 1 May 2015 (2015-05-01) | Jennifer Maguire and Darren Kennedy | The Three Degrees |
| 34 | 8 May 2015 (2015-05-08) | Jason Byrne | Don McLean |
| 35 | 15 May 2015 (2015-05-15) | Jim Sheridan | Once the Musical, Dublin |
| 36 | 22 May 2015 (2015-05-22) | RTÉ Washington correspondent Caitriona Perry | Nathan Carter |
| 37 | 29 May 2015 (2015-05-29) | Giles, Brady and Dunphy pay tribute to Bill O'Herlihy | Dancing, dancing and still more dancing |
