Seán Radley’s appearance on the Late Late Show last Friday night with his backroom staff (see photo right), has people wondering if the LTV2 anchor man will be leaving the station and heading to RTÉ. Following his recent freelance work for the station at President Higgin’s inauguration, it seems that RTÉ are now trying to lure him away, when they gave him and his backroom staff tickets to last Friday’s Late Late Show, showed them around their studios, and gave them top hotel accomodation in Dublin over the weekend.
RTÉ have declined to comment, but did say that they were looking for someone with lots of interview experience to take on the Late Late, as it appears that Ryan Tubridy was leaving for the BBC in the Summer, and they were impressed with his interview style.
Seán himself is denying all knowledge of the move, but sources close to him say that he’s trying not to damage the delicate negotiations that are taking place, as he is looking to bring his backroom team of Eily Buckley (co-presenter), Mary Kelleher (researcher), and William Fitzgerald (personal cameraman) with him.
The source said that his recent retirement from teaching means he now has the time and ambition to try pastures anew, and may be willing to do one big job if the money was right.
LTV2 management say that they are resigning themselves to loosing their top man, but that the demands of the job mean that they had previously been looking at bring in new younger blood who would be able to cover the large number of engagements that have to be recorded. To add fuel to the fire, they sent an experimental crew (photo right) to Rathmore St.Patricks Day Parade last Sunday, and apparently they were impressed with the coverage the new crew brought back.
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….. it’s not April 1st yet is it? 🙂 Sean has told us that he will be back on our screens next Thursday night at 10pm
While it was a most memorable weekend for all five LTV2 Crew Members…the perks and friendships afforded by LTV2 were just too attractive to resist!! So the contract is with LTV2 Millstreet….for now!! Seriously though …. we wish to express heartfelt thanks to “Late Late Show” Executive Producer, Michael Kealy and Presenter, Ryan Tubridy for according us all (Eily, Mary K., William & Ita Fitzgerald. and I) such a royal, sincere and uplifting welcome to the RTE Studios for the live Show. Both Michael and Ryan have fond memories of their special visit to Millstreet thirteen years ago when they were working on the hugely popular RTE Radio programme series at that time entitled “Morning Glory”. Many thanks also to website colleague, Michael (Cashman) for this very witty, humorous and enjoyable piece where he went to such trouble as to even access a still picture of our very brief appearance on the Show as well as discovering the great image of the “new LTV2 Crew” who appeared on Sunday’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Rathmore.