RTE Late Late viewer boost after New Year's Eve special despite mixed reaction

RTE's Late Late Show New Year's Eve special attracted a huge number of viewers despite a mixed reaction to the guest list and no countdown to midnight.

Patrick Kielty hosted his first New Year's special last Sunday with Teenage Dirtbag hitmakers Wheatus, Oscar-winning actor James Martin, comedian Gearoid Farrelly and singers Maverick Sabre, Midge Ure, Niamh Kavanagh and Allie Sherlock among the guests.

The show went toe to toe with Graham Norton's New Year's Eve special on the BBC. The Cork man's show featured US actors Emma Stone and Mark Ruffalo among the guests.

RTE has revealed that the Late Late Show performed very well with an average of 531,000 viewers tuning in to the show live on RTE One and RTE One +1 on Sunday.

This was a marked increase in viewers from the shows screened in the regular Friday night slot in the run up to Christmas. While the Take That special in early December attracted over half a million viewers, only 380,000 and 395,000 switched on respectively in the following two shows last month.

The New Year's special was met with a mixed reaction from viewers with some hailing it as "brilliant" and others labelling it "woejus."

Many viewers took to X, formerly Twitter, to give their take on the special show.

#latelate is actually very good. Excellent production. The more drunker viewers may be forgiven for thinking its #jools pic.twitter.com/qTEgCuLMxs

— Jason McGee (@JasonMcGeeIRL) December 31, 2023

Was really hoping that centering the New Year’s Eve Show around the #LateLateShow #LateLate with Kielty would be the solution to a slot that’s usually dire. Alas, 1/2 hour in & it’s woejus.

— Carole (Ducky) (@IrPsych) December 31, 2023

This is Patrick Kielty at his best this is what he does so well we need to see more of this on the Late Late every Friday. Not a concealed audience and canned laughter.

— james fahey (@jamesfahey15) December 31, 2023

Teenage dirtbag. Bring me back
The best pop tune of my younger self.
NYE is complete. I’m SO glad we didn’t go out #latelate #latelateshow

— Gareth Noble (@GarNob) December 31, 2023

The #latelate have already blown their budget for next year by getting Wheatus for tonight's show#latelateshow

— Adrian Heneghan (@Adrianheneghan) December 31, 2023

Midge Ure singing his 80’s hit, Vienna, with the @rte_co on the #latelateshow tonight was simply brilliant.#latelate

— Regina Looby (@reglooby) December 31, 2023

That version of Vienna was sensational #latelate #LateLateShow pic.twitter.com/LHBSTsbrzl

— Niall Horan (@niallhoran) December 31, 2023

Vienna with RTE orchestra probably the musical performance of 2023 on TV #latelateshow #latelate #betterlatethennever

— Colm Griffin (@GriffinColm) December 31, 2023

Ali Sherlock is just a brilliant talent. I’ve seen her a number of times busking on Grafton Street and she is incredible #latelate #latelateshow

— Gareth Noble (@GarNob) December 31, 2023

Allie Sherlock - singing Begging #latelate #LateLateShow #eurovision #eurosong pic.twitter.com/cvVcjo9tWp

— Niall Horan (@niallhoran) December 31, 2023

Erm, did Camille O’Sullivan just murder ‘All the Young Dudes’ on #LateLate New Year’s Eve Show? #LateLateShow

— Carole (Ducky) (@IrPsych) December 31, 2023

Bowie’s classic All The Young Dudes is currently being murdered live on irish television #latelateshow #latelate #bowie

— Sleeve Saturday (@SaturdaySleeve) December 31, 2023

#latelate I mean suffering jesus between the soulless audience, the absolute rubbish music and the RTE canteen and lost and found department for guest....this New years eve show is peak RTE and why it needs to be a subscription service

— M Patrick Healy (@pat1984michael) December 31, 2023

Best NYE show from RTÉ in years, which wasn’t a high bar in fairness but it’s good tonight #LateLate

— Billy Donnellan (@DonnellanBilly) December 31, 2023

#latelate #NYE show is absolutely brilliant - normally had to wait for Jools for this kind of show. Well done Patrick and team

— Samantha Long (@SamanthaELong) December 31, 2023

We definitely have the technology nowadays to bring back prime Gay Byrne through AI technology.
They can call him "G-AI Byrne"#latelateshow

— Alan Dardis (@AlanDardis) December 31, 2023

Patrick Kielty channelling his inner Jools Holland. One of the stars of 2023 pic.twitter.com/c0IjnXlUin

— Gareth Noble (@GarNob) December 31, 2023