Over 1.7 million people watched this year's Late Late Toy Show around the world, with viewers tuning in from as far afield as Bolivia, Zambia, Guatemala, Iceland and Paraguay.
The Grinch‑inspired show had 642,000 streams from 137 countries on the RTÉ Player and over €4.6 million has been raised for the RTÉ Toy Show Appeal, bringing the six-year total to €30 million.
Review: Patrick Kielty is the Grinch who made Christmas
The show, presented for the third year by Patick Kielty, drew an average television audience of 1.7 million n RTÉ One and RTÉ One +1 across live and repeat broadcasts, with a 78% share on RTÉ One on Friday night, according to ratings company TAM Ireland Ltd/Nielsen TAM.
More than 300 children lit up Studio 4 in RTÉ with toy demonstrations, performances, book reviews and the return of the much‑loved County Parade.
Audiences also watched the show, which included surprise appearances from Roy Keane and CMAT and a show-stealing turn from best friends Keelan and Dylan, in Lesotho, Nepal, Mauritius, Liechtenstein, and Zambia.
On social media, the Toy Show enjoyed its biggest year yet, with more than 36 million video views and 2.8 million engagements across TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and X.
Highlights included Lewis Capaldi’s surprise video message to Keelan and Dylan, Jake’s emotional discovery that he would be on the Toy Show after all, Kingfishr’s unexpected performance, and a K-pop Demon Hunter showcase.
"Friday night was pure joy from start to finish and I loved every second of it," said host Patrick Kielty.
"The real stars were the children, who brought the house down with their talent, their toy demos and their personalities. And then there’s you at home - watching, cheering, sharing and giving so generously to the Toy Show Appeal.
"€4.6 million raised is just staggering, and it will change lives across Ireland. So thank you for making it magical, even if I’ll be scrubbing green paint until next Christmas!"
Alan Tyler, Head of Entertainment and Music said: "The Late Late Toy Show, with the brilliant Patrick Kielty at the helm, remains a truly magical night, able to unite audiences across platforms in extraordinary numbers.
"There really is nothing like it anywhere in the world. It is terrific to see it connect so well with audiences of all ages, both at home and abroad. We are humbled and hugely grateful for the patience, dedication, creativity, good humour, professionalism and sheer hard work of all involved - not a Grinch in sight!
"And, of course, we owe particular thanks to the Irish public, who once again gave so generously to the Toy Show Appeal. As the book almost says, our hearts grew three sizes that day."
