Miriam O'Callaghan has said Irish viewers aren't interested in big-name celebrity bookings and instead prefer to see Irish talent and stories on chat-shows here.
The popular presenter, who returns this Saturday with a new season of Saturday Night with Miriam, said this is what makes Irish chat shows different from its UK and American counterparts.
"The thing about Ireland is that we don't get the guests that Graham Norton gets on our chat shows, and people give out about that all the time, but they don't cross the Irish Sea by and large... But it doesn't seem to matter to Irish audiences, they love Irish guests and they watch them in large numbers," O'Callaghan said.
And what makes her show different from The Late Late and The Ray D'Arcy Show? "Well there's one key obvious difference, I'm a woman and all the other chat show hosts in Ireland are men," she quipped knowingly.
Miriam says she's excited to be returning to the chat-show and says she enjoys the change of pace compared to her work on Prime Time.
"I am very excited, I've a great team, I've just left them, we were doing the briefings for tomorrow night, and it's a great line-up," she told RTÉ TEN. "I enjoy it, I don’t have to ask any tough questions – it's not Prime Time."
Saturday night's line-up includes Louth teenager, Jamie Monaghan and his dad Philip who will chat about their personal journey to the Euros this summer and being picked to accept the prestigious Medaille de la Ville de Paris award on behalf of the Ireland fans at a special mayoral reception in France.
The Irish supporters made headlines for their incredible spirits, good nature and general craic throughout their time in the tournament and Miriam revealed which moment stood out for her as a highlight.
"There were so many actually but I think the Northern Irish man who is coming on tomorrow night who picked up the award in France last night, he was saying that two of their fans actually died when they were over there and it was just the kindness of the Republic of Ireland fans towards the Northern Irish fans, I think, for me, as someone who covered the Northern Ireland story for years, that meant a lot," she said.
Also on the show, Miriam will be chatting to Queen of Irish Country Music Philomena Begley, RTÉ newsreader Una O'Hagan and her husband Colm Keane will also be along to discuss their new book and how they coped with the tragic death of their only son, Sean, and there will be a special performance of Riverdance.
Saturday Night With Miriam, 9.45pm Saturday
