RTÉ One hosting nine seasons as Late Late host he stepped down to host a new political programme. In September 2009, Ryan Tubridy took over as host. In its early years the show was known for its controversies. Most Irish chat shows continue to use a similar formula to The Late Late Show, most shows are live and contain a mix of serious and entertaining interviews. In the late 1970s and early 1980s the biggest rival to The Late Late Show was The Live Mike, hosted by Mike Murphy. The show was a mix of comedy sketches and interviews. Mike Murphy decided
The Gerry Ryan Show new show in that slot "the biggest prize right now in radio". The now cross-media event "Operation Transformation" originated on "The Gerry Ryan Show". In 2010, Ryan launched "Undercurrents", a Friday slot airing unsigned unplaylisted Irish acts who then had their details published on his website. The "Irish Independent"s John Meagher disagreed that this was typical of RTÉ 2fm and Gerry Ryan. A spin-off show of the demoed songs premiered on RTÉ 2XM on 5 March 2010, presented by "GRS" researcher John Bela Reilly. Following Ryan's untimely death on 30 April 2010, Meagher hoped "Undercurrents" would be continued by his