A beloved Irish TV favourite made its return to screens on Friday night, with County Down man Patrick Kielty welcoming children of all ages to his third, star-studded Late Late Toy Show.

From the offset, Kielty tried to steal Christmas, dressing up as the Dr Seuss character, The Grinch, as the Late Late show was transformed into the fictional town of Whoville.

Kielty said he doesn’t see the show as a “pressure gig” and instead counts himself “really lucky” to be “in the middle of a show which brings so much joy”.

Roy Keane, CMAT and Lewis Capaldi were among the celebrity guests surprising children and audience members alike during the festive programme.

Traditionally the country’s most-watched television programme, The Late Late Toy Show has been running since the 1970s and marks for many in the Republic of Ireland and further afield the start of the Christmas season.

The RTÉ show is an annual tradition in many households across the island of Ireland.

The show’s Toy Show Appeal has collected more than €26m (£22.7m) since it started five years ago.

As usual, children were invited to test out the latest toys and give their honest reviews on the show.

And dozens of others from across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland showcased their singing and dancing skills.

The show began with the sound of the Ballymena-actor Liam Neeson, who recorded a voiceover for the show’s opening.

Among other celebrity cameos were video messages from Scottish musician Louis Capaldi, Irish golfer Shane Lowry and Northern Irish and Liverpool footballer Conor Bradley.

Irish footballer and former Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane also made a surprise appearance in the studio.

Also performing live on the programme were Irish indie-folk group Kingfishr, with their viral hit Killeagh, who said to be on the show “is the honour of our lives”.

Musician CMAT also dropped into the studio, fresh from a performance at Dublin’s 3Arena, to surprise the audience and announce how much was raised during the programme’s charity appeal – just over €4 million (£3.49m).

Speaking ahead of Friday’s show, Maire from Magilligan, County Londonderry, was among the children who performed tonight.

Maire told BBC Radio Foyle “it was a dream come true to get the phone call” after her mother sent RTÉ a video of her singing.

“I’ve been singing from I was no age and I just love what it does to me and how others around me react,” she said.

“I can’t say anything about what I’m doing but I will be singing to millions of people and it’s going to be out of this world.”

The 16 year old said she has been watching The Late Late Toy Show from a young age.

“We always get the sugary snacks out and watch all the laughs and performances. I really hope other young girls watch on Friday night and realise dreams can come true if you push yourself in music or dance.”

Speaking ahead of the broadcast, Patrick Kielty said the show is one everyone comes together to enjoy.

“The Toy Show is one of those things that you start, you get on-air and off it goes like a rocket. Where it lands, nobody knows,” he told BBC Radio Ulster’s Good Morning Ulster programme,.

“Most of the kids will always have something up their sleeves to try to throw you and make you laugh.”

He said the parade in the show which features children from all 32 counties across the island of Ireland is one of the “brilliant things about the show”.

“It brings everybody together on the island no matter where they’re from,” he added,

“Last year, we’d Brian Óg from Tyrone, who kind of stole the show. So there’s always a good representation from all four provinces, and I think that that’s something that that also puts a smile on people’s faces.”

Thirteen-year-old Aoibheann and 14-year-old Aislinn, who are both pupils at St Catherine’s College in Armagh, were also singing on Friday night’s broadcast.

Aislinn has been playing the fiddle and taking singing lessons from the age of seven.

“I am very excited to be performing and I know it will be an amazing experience,” she said.

Janine, Aoibheann’s mother, told BBC News NI “we are all so excited and proud of her”.

“The toy show usually marks the start of our Christmas. The tree goes up and the new PJs go on and we all sit down and watch.

“It’s so surreal that Aoibheann will be appearing this year. A few nerves may be kicking in now but overall she is excited.”

Christmas movies have been a theme since Kielty took over as presenter of The Late Late Show in 2023 and that continues this year as the Dundrum man dressed up as The Grinch.

He has previously impressed audiences with his Elf show in 2023 and Home Alone in 2024, but this year he will need a lot longer in the makeup chair.

Kielty said he would be spending three hours there, using a combination of cosmetics and prosthetic moulds to transform into the infamous green humbug.

It was expected to take about an hour and a half to remove the look.

“Let’s see what happens,” he said.

“Some would say that there’s very, very little transformation required facially for that (the Grinch) to happen.

“So I am very much pushing back on that though.”

The show is routinely the most watched television programme in Ireland, reaching well over a million people with its Christmas cheer.

Kielty praised how the show isn’t geo-blocked – so it can be enjoyed by viewers from across the world.

“I feel that the show… there is a sort of sense that it’s Irish Thanksgiving,” he said.

“It’s that idea that it’s not quite Christmas, but it’s got that people coming together feel and wherever you are in the world, you can you can tune-in and be part of it.

“And that’s another reason why it’s such a special thing to host.”

The Late Late Toy Show began on RTÉ One at 21.35 GMT.

It was also broadcast worldwide on RTÉ Player.