The Late Late Show’s St Patrick’s Day special is set to broadcast on Wednesday, March 17th this year — the first time in its nearly 60-year history that the show will air on the weekday.
With St Patrick's Day festivities cancelled for the second year in Ireland due to the Covid-19 pandemic, hundreds of thousands of people who typically visit the island will not be doing so.
As a result, the show has put out a call inviting members of the Irish diaspora from across the world to apply to be part of the virtual audience on the night.
The show is seeking to become a “global hub” for celebrations, “uniting Irish people everywhere for a very special evening of entertainment”.
What we can do is put on an extravaganza that celebrates the joy, beauty, and passion of being Irish
Host Ryan Tubridy said: "Since the pandemic hit, we have made it our business to embrace Ireland like never before on The Late Late Show and show the best of who we are, and that is what we are going continue to do on St Patrick's day, and in some style.
"People cannot come to Ireland this year, and we can't go visit, so what we can do is put on an extravaganza that celebrates the joy, beauty, and passion of being Irish with some big names and familiar faces and an evening of celebration and escapism.
"We want you, the Irish abroad, to be a part of this evening in our virtual audience, to join in with family and friends watching here back home."
Further details about the one-off show, which will be available to viewers around the world on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player, will be announced in the coming weeks.
Viewers from abroad who wish to participate in the show's virtual audience can apply for tickets by logging onto www.rte.ie/latelate.
