Tubridy Tonight had regular viewing figures of 450,000, however, the show also regularly fell victim to so-called "Saturday Night Syndrome", with "The Late Late Show", broadcast on Friday nights, frequently featuring supposedly better guests. In 2009 "Tubridy Tonight" came to an end when RTÉ announced that Tubridy would succeed Pat Kenny as host of "The Late Late Show" for the following series, with the presenter describing "Tubridy Tonight" as "quite the odyssey". Upon Gay Byrne's retirement from "The Late Late Show" in 1999, RTÉ announced that Pat Kenny, host of his own Saturday night chat show, would be Byrne's replacement. "Kenny Live"
The Late Late Show (season 48) was designed by Darragh Treacy. The opening of ticket applications was announced on 28 August 2009. Bookmakers began to offer bets for the identity of Tubridy's first guest, with actor Denzel Washington being reported as one of the favourites. "Irish Independent" television critic John Boland offered Tubridy some tips on being a good chat show host; these included a ban on C-list celebrities, a sense of humour and plenty of surprises. Ryan Tubridy's first episode included several high-profile guests, including Cherie Blair, Joan Collins, Sharon Corr and David Gray. The 204-member studio audience included Tubridy's mother. The orchestra was notably