Another record year for The Late Late Toy Show as it captivates audiences at home and abroad

Over 1.7 million people watched across the weekend

Another record-breaking year for RTÉ Player with 642,000 streams from 137 countries

Over €4.6 million raised for the RTÉ Toy Show Appeal bringing the six-year total to a staggering €30 million

Over 36 million video views mark the Toy Show’s biggest year ever on social media

RTÉ’s Grinch‑inspired Late Late Toy Show captured hearts across Ireland and around the world this weekend, drawing an average television audience of 1.7 million* on RTÉ One and RTÉ One +1 across live and repeat broadcasts, with an impressive 78% share** on RTÉ One on Friday night. On RTÉ Player, audiences watched in their thousands, generating an additional 642,000 streams from home and abroad. More than 300 children lit up the stage with entertaining toy demonstrations, incredible performances, fantastic book reviews and the return of the much‑loved County Parade.

Audiences tuned in from 137 countries on RTÉ Player – as far afield as Bolivia, Lesotho, Nepal, Mauritius, Liechtenstein, Zambia, Guatemala, Iceland and Paraguay. Viewers were moved by Keelan and Dylan’s tearjerking friendship, dazzled by George and Ophelia’s dance moves, delighted when Declan chipped a golf ball straight into his old potty and stunned by CMAT’s surprise appearance, creating unforgettable moments that resonated worldwide.

On social media, the Toy Show delivered its biggest year yet, with more than 36 million video views and 2.8 million engagements across TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and X. Highlights included Lewis Capaldi’s surprise video message to Keelan and Dylan, Jake’s emotional discovery that he would be on the Toy Show after all, Kingfishr’s unexpected performance, the electrifying K-pop Demon Hunter showcase and a showstopping cameo from Roy Keane – all driving record levels of excitement and interaction.

Once again, audiences demonstrated extraordinary generosity, contributing €4.6 million to the Toy Show Appeal and helping to support charities that transform the lives of children and families across Ireland. Now in its sixth year, the Appeal has raised an incredible €30 million in total.

Host of The Late Late Toy Show, Patrick Kielty closed the curtain on this year’s Toy Show joking that he may never get rid of the green paint from his Grinch make-over: “Friday night was pure joy from start to finish and I loved every second of it. The real stars were the children, who brought the house down with their talent, their toy demos and their personalities. And then there’s you at home – watching, cheering, sharing and giving so generously to the Toy Show Appeal. €4.6 million raised is just staggering, and it will change lives across Ireland. So thank you for making it magical, even if I’ll be scrubbing green paint until next Christmas!”

For the first time on RTÉ, Audio Description was available live on RTÉ One during broadcast, making it more accessible than ever. Irish Sign Language (ISL) was also available live on Friday night on the RTÉ News Channel and RTÉ Player and will be repeated in this Wednesday’s ISL block on RTÉ One.

Alan Tyler, Head of Entertainment and Music said: “The Late Late Toy Show, with the brilliant Patrick Kielty at the helm, remains a truly magical night, able to unite audiences across platforms in extraordinary numbers. There really is nothing like it anywhere in the world. It is terrific to see it connect so well with audiences of all ages, both at home and abroad. We are humbled and hugely grateful for the patience, dedication, creativity, good humour, professionalism and sheer hard work of all involved – not a Grinch in sight! And of course, we owe particular thanks to the Irish public, who once again gave so generously to the Toy Show Appeal. As the book almost says, our hearts grew three sizes that day…”

-ENDS-