The Late Late Show should be "parked" for two years, according to Pat Kenny, who says he has no desire to be its next presenter. However, he says his Saturday Kenny Live show will be transferred to Fridays next season and should be given a broader remit.
Commenting yesterday on reports in Sunday newspapers about RTE's plans after Gay Byrne retires, he said the Late Late Show should not be broadcast again in its present format.
He also said reports that there was a row between him and RTE's head of television, Mr Joe Mulholland, were "nonsense".
"I haven't spoken to Joe about any such matter," he said. "He has a lot more to worry about, with budget cutbacks and losing the Champions' League to TV3."
Having seen the autumn television schedules, he said his programme's move to Friday had been finalised. It had always been RTE's plan to move his show to Friday once Gay Byrne retired, he added.
He had no idea what RTE has planned for the Late Late Show after Gay Byrne's retirement, he said, but he would be staying with his own show. "We have built Kenny Live into a strong vehicle. Before Kenny Live there was Saturday Live which was started when Gay moved to Fridays, in order to fill that gap." He said his show began 11 years ago, to "build something which we would have ready to move into Gay Byrne's slot when he retired. That was the policy from the start.
"Moving to Friday is something that has been on my wish-list for a number of years now, and not for any ambitious reason to have the Friday night slot. It's just a matter of wanting to spend more time with my family, go out on Saturday nights, go for a few scoops on Friday nights. I've been working six days a week for 11 years now."
As to what might happen to the Late Late Show, he said that it should be taken off the air "for a few years, to allow the man himself a dignified exit". He said it was "very late in the day" to name someone in May for a September re-launch of the show. It would be a "very rushed turnaround to create a set and unique format around a new host. I doubt anyone new coming in would want to do the toy shows and the antiques show. There's a lot of baggage that goes with the Late Late, which Gay has presented for over 30 years now. It would be a terrible burden for anyone fresh coming in to be compared with the man every week. I think it should probably be parked altogether, if just to give anyone new some breathing space."
He said he was unsure whether Kenny Live would be renamed for a Friday night slot but with the Late Late off the air, he would have the freedom to tackle "more serious issues".
