The first guest confirmed for this week’s Late Late Show is Bryan Dobson.
The broadcaster will chat to host Patrick Kielty about his longstanding career at RTÉ, and his decision to leave the station after 37 years.
The interview will coincide with his last day hosting RTÉ News at One on RTÉ Radio 1.
Bryan has been a journalist and broadcaster at RTÉ for 37 years.
He has presented all of RTÉ’s flagship news programmes across television and radio during this time and anchored RTÉ’s television coverage of elections, and special state events.
Announcing his decision to retire from RTÉ back in January, he said: “After 37 fantastic years with RTÉ the time has come to move on. I will miss working with some wonderfully talented and hardworking colleagues.
“RTÉ journalism depends on teamwork and I have worked with some of the very best. I am grateful too to the listeners and viewers who have give me their time and attention over the years. I hope to have repaid that trust with reporting that was relevant, fair and accurate.”
Kevin Bakhurst, Director General of RTÉ, said at the time: “Bryan represents the best in public service journalism. For many years, he has brought a calm authority to the most important stories.
“Every day, he demonstrates a depth of knowledge and an absolute integrity in his work and has never been afraid to ask the toughest questions and hold the powerful to account. Personally, it has been a pleasure and a privilege to work with him.”
Bryan Dobson joined RTÉ in 1987 as a reporter with the RTÉ Radio 1 This Week programme.
Later that year he was appointed RTÉ’s Business Correspondent, as well as presenting the television business programme Marketplace.
In 1991 he became presenter of RTÉ One O’Clock News, later moving to present the Nine O’Clock News programme before being appointed anchor of the Six One News in 1996. He spent 21 years at the flagship programme, before moving to be part of the presenting team on Morning Ireland in 2017, the most listened to radio programme in Ireland.
He hosted Election 2020: Bryan Dobson Interviews… a new series in the run up to the last general election of must watch in-depth interviews with political party leaders, broadcast in prime time on RTÉ One.
He has also worked on a number of RTÉ documentary programmes including The Madness from Within, an account of the Irish Civil War; Witnesses to War, which featured interviews with Irish veterans of the Second World War and guest presented special programmes on the Lusitania and 1916 Rising for RTÉ Nationwide.
