late late show jesse sludds arrived at the centre of a live country music final with a clear prize in view: a chance to open for Shania Twain in Limerick and, later, return for the Late Late Show Country Music Special. What unfolded in front of viewers was not just a competition result, but a moment that turned a Wexford singer’s next step into a national story.
How did Late Late Show Jesse Sludds win the competition?
Five finalists took part in the live final on The Late Late Show, each performing country classics in a contest judged by two juries made up of music industry and country music experts. Jessie Sludds performed Tracy Chapman’s Fast Car, standing alongside Paddy Treacy of Fermanagh, Caitlin Mackin of Armagh, Midnight in Vegas, a girlband with members from Dublin, Waterford and Essex, and Ryan Phoenix of Cork.
The result was tight. The industry panel gave its top preference to Sludds, while the country experts chose Mackin, leaving the two acts level before the public vote was announced. The public vote, cast by text message, put Treacy ahead in that round, but the combined outcome still pushed Sludds to the top. The win brought two rewards: a booked support slot for Shania Twain at Thomond Park in Limerick this July, and a place on the Late Late Show Country Music Special next October.
Why did this moment matter beyond the studio?
The competition created a rare live pathway from a television stage to a major concert setting. For Sludds, it means moving from a final built on country standards to a slot opening for one of the biggest names in the genre, with the added visibility of another Late Late Show performance still ahead. The story also showed how a public vote can matter without being decisive on its own, because the final result came from a mix of expert judging and audience choice.
The broader picture is one of visibility and momentum. Sludds had reached the final after submitting a video application, encouraged by fans on social media. That detail points to a performer whose next break was shaped not only in a studio, but through support building outside it. The final result now places that support inside a much larger frame.
What was said on the night?
Among the judges were Irish country music figures Una Healy and Sandy Kelly, UK artist Ben Earle of The Shires, and Irish radio broadcaster Tom Dunne. Healy chose Midnight in Vegas, while Kelly selected both Midnight in Vegas and Jessie Sludds. Earle and Dunne both went for Sludds, adding to the momentum that carried him through the final decision.
The live show also included performances from the other finalists. Midnight in Vegas delivered Pink Pony Club by Chappell Roan, Paddy Treacy sang Stop the World and Let Me Off by Carl Belew, Caitlin Mackin performed Wagon Wheel by Old Crow Medicine Show, and Ryan Phoenix sang Friends in Low Places by Garth Brooks. The mix of songs gave the night a wide country range, from familiar standards to newer interpretations.
What happens next for Jessie Sludds?
For now, the next steps are already set. Sludds will open for Shania Twain at her Irish tour stop in Thomond Park this July, then return for the Late Late Show Country Music Special next October. Those bookings give the win practical weight: a television title, a major live stage, and another broadcast slot built into one result.
In that sense, late late show jesse sludds is no longer only a competition name. It is now tied to a sequence of performances that began with a text vote and ended with a larger platform. The final image is still the same live studio stage, but it now carries a different meaning: a place where one song can turn into two more chances, and where a local artist steps into a bigger room with the audience watching what comes next.
