The Late Late Show (Irish talk show) with journalist Deirdre Purcell, who had ghostwritten Byrne's autobiography. After Kenny's mother suddenly died in October 2008, Gerry Ryan was announced as guest presenter for that week's show with less than 48 hours' notice. Kenny announced his decision to quit live on air in March 2009. On 11 May that year, RTÉ announced Ryan Tubridy as Kenny successor. Kenny in turn replaced Tubridy on 1 February 2013 for one night only, due to the death of Tubridy's father. Since the early 1970s, an annual Christmas edition entitled "The Late Late Toy Show" has been held in late November or early
Ryan Tubridy with station insiders disapproving and "Hot Press" publishing a double page editorial with the headline "station in turmoil". Within one year its ratings had soared and Tubridy was given a major award. When "The Full Irish" ended it was the second most popular radio programme in Ireland, after "Morning Ireland". Clarke later described moving Tubridy to the morning as the best decision of his 25-year career in radio. In 2006, Tubridy began presenting "The Tubridy Show", on weekday mornings on RTÉ Radio 1. Around this time, he wrote a column for the "Sunday World" in which he expressed amongst other