Rte Late Late Show off air tonight: An empty chair and a rugby night in Irish living rooms
In a sitting room where the glow of the television usually gathers households each Friday, the familiar opening credits are missing: the rte late late show will not air, and viewers will find sport and a rom‑com in its place.
Why is the Rte Late Late Show not on tonight?
The change was announced at the end of last Friday’s programme, and the decision was framed around national sporting coverage. “The Late Late Show will not air this Friday night as Ireland take on Wales in the Six Nations, ”. The match is scheduled to kick off in Dublin’s Aviva Stadium, with coverage beginning on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player from 7pm ET.
For regular viewers, the absence of Patrick Kielty—whose weekly show normally anchors late‑week conversations—leaves a visible gap. It was noted that the host will not be on screens tonight, a switch that was described in local notices of the schedule change.
What will replace the show, and when will it return?
Television listings for the evening show the romantic comedy It’s Complicated, starring Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin, filling the slot that usually hosts interviews and live studio moments. The broadcaster has signalled that the talk programme will resume the following week: The Late Late Show is scheduled to return on Friday, 13 March, with a St Patrick’s Day special promised to kick off weekend festivities and a line‑up of guests.
For viewers who make the rte late late show part of a Friday ritual, the replacement underscores how live sport can reshape mainstream scheduling. The swap moves conversation from the studio to pubs and living rooms where the match will be watched, and to quieter domestic moments where a movie replaces live interview segments.
How are audiences and the schedule responding?
Producers and scheduling teams have long balanced live events and flagship entertainment slots. This week, national interest in the match is presented as the primary reason for the interruption. The broadcaster’s statement framed the decision as a pivot toward a major sporting fixture, while confirming the programme’s planned return the following week.
For radio listeners and television audiences who expected the usual guest lineup, the swap is immediate and unambiguous: sport takes precedence for this evening, a rom‑com fills the late slot, and the talk show returns with a themed instalment tied to national celebrations.
Back in that living room, the empty chair on the studio screen is a reminder of how schedules bend around large public events. Viewers will tune into the match or settle for a film, and anticipation builds for the Friday after next when the rte late late show makes its comeback, promising familiar faces and a St Patrick’s Day opening to the weekend.
