Patrick Kielty is set to make his Late Late Toy Show hosting debut on Friday, November 24.
The comedian became the fourth presenter to host the RTÉ chat show, following in the footsteps of Gay Byrne, Pat Kenny and Ryan Tubridy.
Here’s everything we know about the brand new ‘Toy Man’.
Background
Patrick is a native of Co. Down, and he grew up in the village of Dundrum.
When Patrick was just 16-years-old, his businessman father John ‘Jack’ Kielty was shot dead aged 44 by loyalist shooters from the Ulster Freedom Fighters.
Speaking about his father’s tragic death on The Late Late Show last year, Patrick told then-host Ryan Tubridy: “I was 16 and it was my brother’s 18th birthday. Everybody said they were sorry, everybody hugged us but nobody said they couldn’t believe it. That is how things were up [the North], that was the normality of it.”
“I was in school, and I was called to the headmaster’s office… I remember going into the office [at school] and Brian Cunningham, my dad’s best friend, was sitting there. I could see something was up.”
“They said my dad had been shot and I automatically said ‘Is he dead?’ and straight away they said ‘Yes’.”
Patrick said his dad was targeted for a number of reason, explaining: “My dad was a building contractor. We subsequently found out in later years that he wasn’t going to pay his protection money and he was going to give evidence in a trial, but that trial collapsed. So he was a dead man walking from then.”
In his 2018 BBC One documentary, ‘My Dad, the Peace Deal and Me’, Patrick revealed the IRA tried to recruit him to exact revenge on his killers.
He said of his father’s killers: “I can’t forgive them. But whether or not these people are in jail, it’s not going to bring Dad back… I won’t hug them and tell them it was OK – but I want to move on.”
“Everyone wants to believe their loved one died for a cause. But my dad died for nothing.”
Career
Patrick began his stand-up comedy career as host of Northern Ireland’s first comedy club The Empire Laughs Back in Belfast.
The following year, he was a finalist in a National Comedy Search – which was organised by none other than RTÉ’s The Late Late Show.
Patrick was awarded Best Newcomer at the 1996 Royal Television Society Awards for presenting BBC Northern Ireland’s PK Tonight.
The following year, Patrick established Belfast-based TV company Green Inc with TV director Stephen Stewart.
The 52-year-old’s career then grew immensely across TV, radio and the stage.
In 2003, he hosted the opening ceremony of the Special Olympics in Croke Park – which broadcast to a global audience of 800 million.
Three years later, he hosted a segment on ITV’s coverage of The Prince’s Trust 30th Birthday LIVE.
Patrick has guested on BBC’s Live at the Apollo, presented Sport Relief, co-hosted episodes of This Morning, and guest hosted episode of The One Show.
He also hosted hosted the original pilot series of the American version of Deal or No Deal for ABC in early 2004, and the first ever season of Love Island alongside model Kelly Brook the following year.
In 2018, Patrick presented a documentary, titled ‘My Dad, the Peace Deal and Me’, which explored the state of Northern Ireland two decades on from the Good Friday Agreement, and the effect his father’s murder had on him.
In 2021, the 52-year-old took part in RTÉ’s All the Walks of Life where he spoke about his childhood and values.
Patrick later starred in the 2022 film Ballywalter, which was nominated for an award at the 2023 IFTA Awards.
The movie, which also stars Seána Kerslake, is described as a life affirming story about the unexpected connections that can change the course of our lives.
Patrick was named the new host of The Late Late Show in May, and made his hosting debut on the show on Friday, September 15.
The comedian shared details of his salary in wake of the RTÉ payments scandal, revealing he’ll be paid €250,000 per 30-show season.
In a statement, he said: “I’m pleased to finally be able to share that I’ve signed a three-season deal to host The Late Late Show beginning this September.”
“I’m being paid €250,000 per 30 show season. If additional shows are requested by RTÉ, they’ll be paid on a pro-rata basis. I’m also receiving a one-off payment of €20,000 to cover the pre-production and rehearsals from now to September.”
“The contract allows me to submit flight and accommodation expenses, but I’ve waived this. I’ve made it clear to RTÉ that I will be covering my own flights and accommodation costs.”
“I’ve also asked RTÉ to carbon offset my flights. I genuinely hope this helps clarify things going forward. I can’t wait to get started.”
Adrian Lynch later confirmed the original draft of Patrick’s contract included €50k in expenses, which he has waived.
Personal Life
Patrick has been married to English presenter Cat Deeley for eleven years.
The couple were friends for years before their relationship turned romantic.
Speaking about the start of their relationship, Cat told Ryan Tubridy on The Late Late Show back in 2020: “We would always call each other on birthdays or Christmas, or we’d see each other occasionally or whatever it was.”
“Anyway, there was a night where it was the day before my birthday – I can’t even remember what birthday it was now! It was 30-something. He called me and he spoke to me on the phone.”
“He said, ‘Oh, what are you doing for your birthday? I’m just ringing to say happy birthday’. I said, ‘Oh, we’re going to the Beverly Hills Hotel. We’re just going to have a late brunch; it’s going to be very civilised. It’s a shame you’re not here, otherwise, you could come.’ And he was like, ‘Well, eh – I’ll be there.'”
.@catdeeley tells Ryan the story of how she and @PatricKielty fell in love ❤️#LateLate pic.twitter.com/IupTDOB5Nd
— The Late Late Show (@RTELateLateShow) October 30, 2020
Cat recalled: “I was like, ‘Yeah, yeah, sure you will. Sure you will, Charlie Big Bananas, sure you’ll be there! I’ll hold you a seat, how about that?’ Anyway, I didn’t know this, but he basically stumbled home from the pub, set an alarm clock, booked a flight to go back to Heathrow – I think the first flight out.”
“He set his alarm for five, first flight out was seven to land into Heathrow at eight to get on the 9:30 flight to fly to LA. He flew to LA with his hand luggage, jumped in a cab, told the story to the cabbie.”
“The cabbie was like, ‘Are you sure you don’t want me to wait? I can wait for you. I can wait. That’ll be okay’. He’s like, ‘No, no! It’s good, it’s good!’
“[He] walked into the Beverly Hills Hotel, dropped his bag at the concierge and walked in – at which point I fell off my seat!”
Cat said Patrick charmed everyone around the table that day, and that was the moment she “slightly fell in love with him”.
Nine months after they started dating, Cat and Patrick tied the knot during a private ceremony in Rome in September 2012.
The couple share two sons – Milo, 7, and James, 4.
