In a Late Late Show special marking 50 years of the show, host Ryan Tubridy introduces the first host of the world's longest running chat show Gay Byrne.
This excerpt from the programme includes a montage of some of the key moments in Gay Byrne's time as host of the show. The archive footage includes a flavour of the stories and personalities that Gay brought to the nation over the years including the condom controversy, Mother Teresa, Fred Astaire, Richard Harris, Bob Geldof, Michael Caine, Mo Mowlam, Terry Keane, Sinéad O'Connor, Pádraig Flynn, Annie Murphy, Bono and Larry Mullen.
Gay receives a standing ovation upon his arrival on set. Gay tells Ryan how the show began with Tom McGrath, an Irish man working in CBC in Toronto. Tom returned to Ireland to join the new Irish television station. Tom had seen 'The Tonight Show' in America and wanted to recreate a similar type talk show in Ireland. Gay claims that when the show first started people detested it and for some unaccountable reason it became popular.
Brendan Balfe, who was in the audience for the very first Late Late Show, is also in the audience for the 50th-anniversary celebrations and recalls his memories of the first show.
This episode of 'The Late Late Show' was broadcast on 4 June 2012. The host is Ryan Tubridy.
