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
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