Late Late Toy Show to be ‘radically different’ as Ryan Tubridy reveals this year’s show will have NO audience

Ryan Tubridy has revealed that there will be no studio audience for this year’s The Late Late Toy Show.

The presenter spoke at the RTÉ virtual Autumn launch about what viewers can expect from the highly anticipated show, and there will certainly be a lot of changes.

“There was a sense about the place that the Toy Show was under threat,” he admitted, “But we are well and truly on the road with it.”

“I think, without question, that it will be the most important Toy Shows that we’ve ever done – for obvious reasons.”

“The kids have been so good. They’ve had the weirdest year of their lives and it is absolutely up to us to make the sun shine for them again. We are determined and excited.”

In terms of the impact the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting social distancing measures will have on the show, Ryan said: “We’re operating at the moment with the view that everything will be social distanced. Everything is, as we know it now, in terms of Covid rules.”

“I don’t anticipate that changing between now and Christmas to be quite honest. I don’t see some kind of miraculous move towards people gathering. We made a decision quite early on that there will be no audience.”

“My feeling was: ‘If people watching can’t meet up, then why the hell should we?'” he asked.

“There was talk of many a small number gathering and I said that I didn’t like that. I just think it’s all or nothing, so when the people at home can gather – we’ll gather too. Until then, I’m just going to talk to the empty seats.”

“It’s a strange place to be, but I’m used to it now. It’s changed everything. It’s changed things for the better – kids all around the world can audition online now which allows them to participate.”

“It’s going to be a radically different type of Toy Show. The opening of the Toy Show is going to be radically different. My character is radically different. The song is radically different… this is going to be a Toy Show like no other.”

Ryan continued: “We’ll still do a big number, it’s just going to be a little more Covid aware. It won’t be tiny, but it will be careful.”

“We’re watching how the world has recalibrated and saying ‘Well, what can we do? How can you make the most bonkers show in the world Covid-friendly?’ And that’s our job.”

“The idea of doing a Toy Show with no audience is very daunting because you feed off of that,” he admitted, “But I feel quite supported by the public and their patience and that’ll help fuel the madness.”

When it was put to Ryan about the possibility of delivering gifts to frontline workers to replace the iconic “One for everybody in the audience” segment of the show, the presenter said: “That’s exactly along the lines of where we’d be inclined to go.”

Ryan also said the show would be involving Irish families living abroad “to let them know that we’re thinking of them and that they’re welcome”.

“I mentioned in the middle of August that applications for the show were open and they had about 1,000 entries in the course of 24 hours. There’s a hunger for the Toy Show this year that is very different for obvious reasons.”

Earlier this week, Ryan hinted at the theme of the show – telling his Radio 1 show listeners that it would be “delicious and different”.

“We’ve got the character decided upon; we’re ahead of ourselves,” he shared.

Ryan admitted that there would be a “really careful, COVID-conscious opener and full Toy Show”, and said that he attended his “first costume check” last week.

“People were concerned: ‘Is it going to happen or not?’ Not only is it happening, but the costume check went really well. And the character’s good, the opening’s going to be delicious, and different.”