Ryan Tubridy has admitted that he had no idea Eurosong would not be returning this year.
Nicky Byrne has been confirmed as this year’s Irish entry in the Eurovision with his song Sunlight, meaning that the Late Late Show competition has been axed for this year.
“What they’ve decided is Nicky Byrne is going to represent Ireland on the Eurovision stage, and I for one think it’s a really good idea,” he said.
“For the last seven years, every year we do the Eurosong special and I love doing it and it was great fun and a distraction form the regular type of show we do, but it just didn’t yield the type of result we required.”
Axed: Ryan found out along with everyone else Eurosong was not coming back | ANDRES POVEDA
“It didn’t yield the right results, and something had to change,” he said on his RTE Radio One show.
However, the broadcaster revealed he only found out that Eurosong would not be coming back when everyone else did.
“I only found out about this like everyone else. I wasn’t in the loop on this. But it’s the right thing to do,” he explained.
“There’s a perfectly formed pop star, he’ll be brilliant with the press, he’ll be brilliant internationally.”
Fingers crossed: Ryan hopes Nicky brings it home for Ireland | ANDRES POVEDA
Ryan also suggested that for future Irish entries, a national contest should be considered rather than the Late Late’s Eurosong.
“They should do the national song contest. That was really working for years when it was all happening in the 90s,” he said.
“Apart from the voting bloc, which I’m not so sure I believe. All sorts of acts are winning from all over Europe so that Eastern voting bloc excuse is gone.”
“I think the idea of a national song contest might be the way forward as well. IÂ hope he does very well and he wins it.”
