patrick kielty rté contract renewal remains unresolved just days before the final episode of the season airs. RTÉ and The Late Late Show host Patrick Kielty have not yet confirmed a new deal, leaving the presenter’s future in the role open as Friday’s edition approaches. The current contract began in 2023 and is due to expire after the season-ending show.
Deadline pressure builds around Patrick Kielty Rté Contract Renewal
RTÉ is understood to have been in talks with Kielty, and expectations at Montrose are that he will continue as host, but no conclusion has been reached. The broadcaster declined to comment on its relationship with Kielty on Tuesday, while senior executives have previously said they want him to stay on.
, RTÉ said: “RTÉ does not comment on individual contracts… We look forward to the programme returning for its 65th year in the autumn. ” A representative of Kielty was contacted for comment.
The uncertainty comes as discussions about his future coincide with other pay matters at RTÉ, including the broadcaster’s wait for final Government sign-off on a €20, 000 pay increase in the basic salary of director general Kevin Bakhurst.
What RTÉ has said and what remains undecided
Bakhurst took up his post in July 2023 and has said no presenter at RTÉ would earn more than his own basic salary. His pay is on track to rise from €250, 000 to €270, 000, excluding a car allowance or pension contributions, while new Government pay structures had opened the possibility of a rise of up to €50, 000.
Kielty’s current salary for presenting The Late Late Show follows that pay cap, with the host paid €250, 000 a year under the expiring contract for 30 episodes per season. If the director general’s increase is approved, Kielty and other high-profile RTÉ presenters would be in a position to seek the same increase.
From Dundrum, Co Down, Kielty was announced as the fourth permanent host of the show in May 2023, one week before Ryan Tubridy’s final edition. A month later, RTÉ admitted it had not fully declared Tubridy’s pay, triggering a wider wave of corporate governance scandals at the organisation.
Late Late Show ratings remain part of the case
The latest figures have added another layer to patrick kielty rté contract renewal. Industry data show that Kielty’s debut season averaged 452, 000 viewers per episode with a 39% audience share across 22 episodes, ahead of Tubridy’s final season average of 407, 000 viewers and a 38% share.
His first show drew 830, 000 viewers, and his current third season is averaging 390, 000 viewers per episode on RTÉ One, with a further 1. 3 million streams on RTÉ Player. On the biggest night of the Irish television calendar, his first Toy Show drew 1. 7 million viewers over the weekend, and the 2024 and 2025 editions matched that figure.
In February, Bakhurst said management would have “discussions over the coming months” with Kielty about his Late Late future. He added: “I’ve made it really clear to Patrick that we all think he’s doing a great job, and we would like to continue that. ”
What happens next
The immediate focus is Friday’s final edition of the season and whether a new agreement is confirmed before then. Until that happens, patrick kielty rté contract renewal remains the central question around RTÉ’s flagship Friday night show, with the autumn return already on the horizon and no public conclusion yet in sight.
