The full line-up for tonight's Late Late Show on RTÉ One and the RTÉ Player has been announced.
Ryan Tubridy will be joined by Academy Award nominee Paul Mescal, who will talk about gaining overnight fame on Normal People, becoming a poster boy for the Irish language on the BAFTA red carpet, and competing with Colin Farrell for an Oscar.
Paul will discuss his new film God's Creatures, which opened the Dublin International Film Festival this week and co-stars Emily Watson, who will also join Ryan on Friday night. The two-time Oscar nominee is no stranger to these shores having played Angela in Angela's Ashes and starred alongside Daniel Day-Lewis in The Boxer. Paul and Emily will talk awards season, the wildness of Donegal, and the challenge of taking on thought-provoking roles.
Chef Jamie Oliver will chat about all things culinary and his stellar career, from learning to cook in his parents' pub aged eight to becoming a global phenomenon in food. He will also discuss his desire to drive positive change in food education and public health as well as his latest restaurant venture in Dublin, Chequer Lane.
Just back from his second BAFTA win, Oscar-winning animator Richie Baneham will chat about coming home to Tallaght, working with James Cameron, and looking ahead to his second Oscar nomination for Avatar: The Way of Water.
As the intrigue in the hit drama Smother ramps up, the actors behind three of the show's lead characters will be on the Late Late. The latest addition to the cast, Irish acting royalty Fionnula Flanagan, will share why she is still in the prime of her career despite first appearing on screens in 1965; Gemma-Leah Devereaux will chat about why Smother fans cheered when her character Anna got her comeuppance, and Dean Fagan, who plays Finn, will tell viewers why spending so much time in Lahinch has changed his life.
In 1959, the drug Thalidomide was hailed as a miracle cure for pregnant women who suffered from morning sickness. It proved immensely popular both in Ireland and abroad until 1961 - when it was discovered that the drug was causing catastrophic injuries to babies in the womb. The drug was pulled from shelves across the world, except in Ireland where it was widely available for a further nine months. More than 60 years on, the Thalidomide Survivors in Ireland are still seeking an apology from the State, and they will be on this week's show to share their stories.
For music, there is Westmeath's finest, The Academic, who will sing Pushing Up Daisies from their newly released album Sitting Pretty.
Plus, rabble-rousing folk band The Mary Wallopers will sing Eileen ÓG from their self-titled debut album.
The Late Late Show, Fridays, RTÉ One and RTÉ Player, 9:35pm
