TV3 planned to use Pat Kenny to take on Miriam O'Callaghan with Saturday chat show

TV3 were left devastated when Pat Kenny signed for UTV Ireland – as they planned to have him front a chat show.

Ballymount bosses were reportedly so confident of signing the former Late Late Show host, they had already wrote him into their schedules.

Sources revealed TV3 planned to use him to take on Miriam O’Callaghan with a Saturday night chat show but UTV Ireland offered more cash.

Take on: TV3 wanted Pat to demolish Miriam’s ratings

“TV3 were planning to give Pat his own Saturday chat show and they even wrote him into next year’s schedule, but it seems UTV Ireland trumped them with a better offer,” a source told the Star.

It emerged yesterday that UTV Ireland plan to use Pat to take on the Late Late Show with his own chat show.

They have agreed to pay him €1 million across five years – giving him €200,000 on top of his €400,000 Newstalk deal.

Despite not even being on air yet, Gay Byrne has insisted that UTV Ireland could see the end of TV3.