9-Year-Old Charlie Lands Dream Job on Toy Show

These kids today have great initiative. Nine-year-old Charlie Brunton from Mountnugent in Co Cavan had a dream, and it wasn't to appear on The Late Late Toy Show doing a song or dance number. No no, it was to work on it.

Yep, all Charlie wanted for Christmas was to be a stage hand on The Late Late Toy Show so he decided instead of asking Santa Claus, he would go directly to the source and write to Ryan Tubridy.

And now lucky Charlie's wish has come true as he will go behind the scenes and help out on this Friday's Toy Show.

His mother Breege Reilly said, "Charlie always thinks about how things are done with a particular interest in filming and special effects like how they make actors cry. He absolutely loves the Toy Show - with recordings and YouTube we have weekly viewings."

The family record The Late Late Toy Show every year and watch it repeatedly well into spring. Breege said that Charlie was watching it one evening when he decided to write a letter to Ryan Tubridy himself.

“He looked at the muscles on his arms and decided they were definitely ready for that job! When I was rushing out to work one morning he produced a sealed envelope and asked me to write Ryan Tubridy’s address. I hastily spelled Donnybrook, Dublin 4 for him and posted it. Every so often he would ask ‘did Ryan Tubridy ring me?’ We can’t believe that we did get the call,” she said.

When the family were contacted by The Late Late Toy Show team to invite him to take part in the show, Charlie was left speechless.

Breege said, “After getting the call I finished work early to pick him up from school to tell him the big news. He was speechless driving home. Then the phone calls and messages started and it hasn’t stopped since. He still doesn’t believe he will be on it. He has become a local celebrity. Everyone in our rural parish knows. He went around to each classroom in school (Scoil Bhride in Mountnugent) to tell all the students and spoke at assembly about it. We have looked at every Toy Show recorded. Our lives at the minute are all arranged around Friday and he is enjoying every minute of it!”

Charlie’s brothers Jack (17), Ben (16) and Ned (13) have been helping out by tutoring him daily and on Friday night the family are having a party at home to watch him on the Toy Show.

And who would Charlie like to be when he grows up? “Ryan Tubridy!” said Breege.

Looks like we have our next Late Late Show host!

Check out his lovely letter below.

Merry Everyone!

What a little hero! If only we had thought of this. What was your dream when you were a young one? Are you living it now?