It's the first Late Late Show of the year this Friday and it's very much an Irish affair so don't get yourself all psyched up for any Hollywood glam.
But sure look, it's back and let's face it, we all need a bit routine again and who the hell can afford to be going out in January?
Joining Ryan will be Operation Transformation host Kathryn Thomas who will chat about the upcoming new series of the show, preparing for a new arrival with fiancé Padraig and planning their wedding.
Ryan will be meeting some of the daters hoping to find love on the brand new series of First Dates Ireland. He’ll be finding out how serendipity struck with one couple; why Cupid’s arrow missed the mark entirely for another; and catching up with one of the couples who met on the show and is still very much in love.
The Late Late will also be hosting a discussion on body positivity featuring a panel of women who have experienced intolerance and abuse because of their size but who are fighting back. Irish model Tia Duffy, whose Body Aware Project has been picked up by Italian Vogue, will talk about the bullying she has experienced in the fashion industry due to her size and why she was inspired to do something about it. Dundalk woman Sarah Tyrell will share why she believes society needs to stop judging and trolling overweight people and why she started an online community – BoPo Ireland – to help others with their body image. And viewers will hear from 19-year-old Stacey Dineen who left school in 5th year to escape bullying over her appearance and suffered depression and suicidal thoughts. Now a plus-size model and winner of the Canadian reality series Fashion Hero, she will discuss how she has embraced her figure.
Broadcaster Valerie Cox will join Ryan to talk about the frightening experience of her husband’s recent health scare after he lapsed into a coma when he was struck down with herpes viral encephalitis. She’ll also be sharing her take on how the over-65s are treated in the Irish health system.
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Celebrity hairstylist Trudy Hayes was riding high until the recession struck just as her kidneys started failing her. Spending the next couple of years in and out of hospital, she lost everything – her dream job, her home and her relationship. She would go on to have two kidney transplants but her time in hospital also inspired her new business – Raven, a beauty app that brings the salon to you, even if you are in hospital. She’ll be sharing with Ryan the story of how she bounced back from her lowest ebb and transformed her life.
As The Late Late Show launches its annual search for the best of new Irish enterprise, viewers will meet Ailbhe and Izzy Keane who are transforming the country’s wheelchairs from medical devices into fashion statements with their innovative product ‘Izzy Wheels’.
If we haven't lost you yet, there will also be music from Patrick Feeney and Hermitage Green.
Catch The Late Late Show on RTÉ One, this Friday at 9.35pm.
