The Grinch is set to crash the Late Late Toy Show

The countdown has begun for the Irish Christmas television staple The Late Late Toy Show, with County Down man Patrick Kielty at the helm for a third year.

Tonight he will be trying to steal Christmas, dressing up as the Dr Seuss character, The Grinch.

Kielty said he doesn’t see the show as a “pressure gig” and instead counts himself “really lucky” to be “in the middle of a show which brings so much joy”.

Maire from Magilligan, County Londonderry, who is among the children selected to perform tonight, told BBC News NI that it is “a dream come true”.

The RTÉ show is an annual tradition in many households across the island of Ireland.

As usual, children will be invited to test out the latest toys and give their honest reviews on the show.

And dozens of others from across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland will be showcasing their singing and dancing skills.

Maire said “it was a dream come true to get the phone call” after her mother sent RTÉ a video of her singing.

“I’ve been singing from I was no age and I just love what it does to me and how others around me react.

“I can’t say anything about what I’m doing but I will be singing to millions of people and it’s going to be out of this world.”

The 16-year-old said she has been watching the Late Late Toy Show from a young age.

“We always get the sugary snacks out and watch all the laughs and performances. I really hope other young girls watch on Friday night and realise dreams can come true if you push yourself in music or dance.”

Speaking to BBC Radio Ulster’s Good Morning Ulster programme, Patrick Kielty said the show is one everyone comes together to enjoy.

“The toy show is one of those things that you start, you get on-air and off it goes like a rocket. Where it lands, nobody knows.

“Most of the kids will always have something up their sleeves to try to throw you and make you laugh,” Kielty said.

He said the parade in the show which features children from all 32 counties across the island of Ireland is one of the “brilliant things about the show”.

“It brings everybody together on the island no matter where they’re from.”

“Last year, we’d Brian Óg from Tyrone, who kind of stole the show. So there’s always a good representation from all four provinces, and I think that that’s something that that also puts a smile on people’s faces.”

Thirteen-year old Aoibheann and 14-year-old Aislinn, who are both pupils at St Catherine’s College in Armagh, will be singing on Friday night’s broadcast.

Aislinn has been playing the fiddle and taking singing lessons from the age of seven.

“I am very excited to be performing and I know it will be an amazing experience,” she said.

Janine, Aoibheann’s mother, told BBC News NI “we are all so excited and proud of her”.

“The toy show usually marks the start of our Christmas. The tree goes up and the new PJ’s go on and we all sit down and watch.

“It’s so surreal that Aoibheann will be appearing this year. A few nerves may be kicking in now but overall she is excited.”

Christmas movies have been a theme since Kielty took over as presenter of the Late Late Show in 2023 and that continues this year with the Dundrum man dressing up as The Grinch.

He has previously impressed audiences with his Elf show in 2023 and Home Alone in 2024, but this year he will need a lot longer in the makeup chair.

Kielty said he’ll be spending three hours there, using a combination of cosmetics and prosthetic moulds to transform into the infamous green humbug.

He added that it takes about an hour and a half to remove the look, joking: “Let’s see what happens.”

“Some would say that there’s very, very little transformation required facially for that [the Grinch] to happen,” Kielty said.

“So I am very much pushing back on that though.”

The opening of this year’s show will also feature Ballymena native, Liam Neeson, who has recorded a special voiceover.

The Late Late Toy Show is routinely the most watched television programme in Ireland, reaching well over a million people with its Christmas cheer.

Kielty praised how the show isn’t geo-blocked – so it can be enjoyed by viewers from across the world.

“I feel that the show… there is a sort of sense that it’s Irish Thanksgiving,” he said.

“It’s that idea that it’s not quite Christmas, but it’s got that people coming together feel and wherever you are in the world, you can you can tune-in and be part of it.

“And that’s another reason why it’s such a special thing to host.”

People can watch the show on Friday 5 December at 21:35 GMT on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.