The hiring of a celebrity booker for The Late Late Show has reportedly caused “annoyance” amongst RTÉ staff.
Patrick Kielty hosted his first episode of the broadcaster’s flagship programme last weekend.
While viewers welcomed the comedian’s witty humour and audience interaction, others were concerned by a lacklustre line-up.
According to the Irish Independent, RTÉ hired a celebrity booker, who was reportedly based in London, after Patrick was recruited as the new host of The Late Late Show.
The outlet has reported that the hiring of this booking consultant has caused annoyance amongst RTÉ staff, at the time of a recruitment ban and spending cutbacks.
A spokesperson for RTÉ said: “Mindful of costs while also trying to deliver the best possible show to our audience, a celebrity booker was engaged for a short period.”
“Our aim is to widen our pool of guests over the season, to deliver for the audience. This will be kept under review as the season progresses.”
The Irish Independent also reported that rumours had been flying amongst RTÉ staff that a high-profile US guest was being flown in for The Late Late Show.
However, Friday night’s line-up proved to be a showcase of homegrown talent once again.
