RTÉ Is Searching for This Year's Late Late Toy Show Stars

There are a handful of moments in the Irish calendar that feel genuinely magical — and the Late Late Toy Show is right up there at the top of the list. The pyjamas, the hot chocolate, the kids absolutely losing their minds at the sight of Patrick Kielty surrounded by toys. It’s the one Friday night of the year where bedtime is non-negotiable until after the credits roll.

Well, RTÉ has just made a very exciting announcement: the search is now on for this year’s Toy Show stars, and if you have a little one with that indefinable sparkle, now is the time to get the application in.

Could your child be on the Toy Show this year?

The Toy Show team is looking for children who dream of demonstrating this year’s must-have toys on national television, or who have a performance in them that Ireland simply needs to see. Whether your child has been perfecting a party piece since roughly the age of two, or they’ve a gift for reviewing absolutely everything they’ve ever played with, RTÉ wants to hear about them.

Patrick Kielty, who’ll be back hosting this year, put it well: “The stars of the Toy Show have always been our amazing kids. And this year we’re looking forward to them shining brighter than ever. So if you want to dream big and show Ireland and the world what you’ve got, the adventure starts here…”

Applications are open now and close at midnight on Sunday 27 September, so you’ve a few weeks to get organised. Head to RTÉ.ie/latelate to fill in the form.

What makes the Toy Show so special

If you needed any reminder of just how big this show is — last year’s Grinch-inspired Late Late Toy Show drew an average television audience of 1.7 million across the weekend. A further 642,000 streams were clocked up on RTÉ Player, from home and abroad. More than 300 children took to the stage with toy demonstrations, performances and book reviews. Three hundred children. The logistics of that alone deserve some kind of national award.

And it isn’t just the spectacle of it. Last year audiences donated an extraordinary €4.6 million to the Toy Show Appeal, supporting charities that work with children and families all over Ireland. Since the Appeal began, it has raised €30 million in total. That figure is staggering, and it speaks to something genuinely lovely about the Irish public and what the show means to people.

For children who appear on it, it’s an experience they’ll talk about forever. Ask any parent who’s had a kid on that stage and they’ll tell you the same thing — it’s one of those once-in-a-lifetime memories that no amount of planning could quite prepare you for.

How to apply

If your child has been doing dramatic toy unboxings in the sitting room since they could walk, or has a talent show routine that the rest of the household has been subjected to on a loop, this is genuinely their moment. The process is straightforward: visit RTÉ.ie/latelate and complete the application form before the midnight deadline on 27 September.

It costs nothing, it takes a little bit of time and honestly, what’s the worst that can happen? You’ll have had a conversation with your child about dreaming big, and they’ll have spent a very happy afternoon telling you exactly why they’d be perfect for the job. That’s a good evening right there.

The Late Late Toy Show remains one of those rare things that brings the whole country together — mums, dads, grannies, uncles who claim they’re only watching for the football later and then end up absolutely riveted. This year could be the one where your family is right at the heart of it.