Katie Hopkins boosted the Late Late Show’s ratings big time last Friday, but not for the best reason.
According to the Irish Sun, one of every two Irish viewers watching television tuned in on Friday night, with an average audience of 586,900 viewers, and a 45 per cent share.
However, the show peaked during Katie’s appearance, with 740,800 tuning in to hear what the infuriating star had to say.
While the episode was the third most watched Late Late Show since it returned in September, the show faced serious backlash for booking the 41-year-old in the first place.
RTE received 1,302 email complaints before the former Apprentice star even arrived in Dublin, and Late Late host Ryan even admitted that he “didn’t personally want her” on the show.
The mother-of-three, who is an avid supporter of US president-elect Donald Trump, shocked viewers by justifying Trump’s “grab them by the p****” comment – but insists that she wouldn’t have said the word “p****” on the show, had Ryan Tubridy not said it first.
“The Late Late Show, despite being on late, is still a family show and I view it like Strictly or the Bake Off,” she said, according to the Irish Sun.
Controversial: Katie’s interview got heated with Ryan Tubridy | RTE
“It’s a bastion of Irish television. I would never have used bad language on that show or that word. I don’t use it in my normal life and I wouldn’t use it on a show like that.”
After implying that Ryan was “under a lot of pressure”, Katie said, “I think he ended up looking like a rude interviewer who threw his teddies out of the pram. That’s unfortunate, because it’s not who Tubs is.”
The news comes after Irish presenter Laura Whitmore hit out at the RTÉ show for booking Katie Hopkins at all.
