The Gerry Ryan Show the River Shannon, Podge and Rodge, Irish literature, bacon and cabbage, Irish stew and the GAA. Some of the choices had connections to the show such as the show itself, Riverdance (first introduced to the world by the presenter) and, although not the case at the time, "The Late Late Show", which Ryan presented the following month. Despite repeated reshuffles which have seen all other presenters shifted around, RTÉ never moved "The Ryan Show" from its traditional slot. After a brief period of decline in his audience, all of the recent JNLR figures showed a consistent and significant increase in
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