Ryan Tubridy says he has ‘far too much energy yet’ and has no plans to leave Late Late Show

The RTÉ host said he still feels “very positive” as the chat show gears itself up for its 61st season.

Speaking at the launch of RTÉ’s new season, he reflected on his nearly 15 years in the role and said ultimately a time for new challenges will come in the years ahead.

“I do have more time to think about my future and where that might all go, I’m very positive about what might happen after The Late Late Show but I’m not there yet. I’m not in that conversation,” he said.

“I’ve done nearly 15 years of the Late Late Show and five years of the show before that, and I’ve tried it, and I’ve loved it but then after that ultimately will come a need for new challenges. I’m in a very positive frame of mind about the Late Late Show.

“I’m so deep into The Late Late Show that when I say post Late Late Show, of course I’ve got to think about life afterwards but it’s just not today or tomorrow.

“I think I’m still too needy and attention seeking to think about going quieter, I think I’ve too much energy yet, but I have given thought to that moment where I go, ‘it’s been great fun and now it’s time to take a turn in the road’, I’m just not there yet.”

Tubridy said he vowed to live a different life after the pandemic and often thinks about turning 50 next year.

“I’ll be 50 in May, and I think about that quite a bit and I think about life post pandemic, and I have made a very good decision about life which is to say, when the pandemic was going on I said I’m going to live a slightly different life after it,” he said.

“I believe now in airing on the side of joy and of fun and of doing stuff that you might not have done before.”

He added that his milestone birthday will be a quiet event with a few close friends and family: “It’s going to be really low key, family and friends, maybe and Eddie Rockets truck and that’s it.”

The presenter revealed that planning is also well under way for this year’s Toy Show and the programme’s theme has already been selected.

“I think if I do leave the Late Late Show, the hardest part will be to put the Toy Show behind me because it’s been such an important part of my life, of my world,” he said.

“That’ll be a wrench there’s be no doubt about that, but all things must pass.”