Maura Higgins has been confirmed to star on the first Late Late Show of this season next week.
The Love Island star will join an Irish based line-up of Sinead O’Connor and actress Aisling Bea.
Announcing the news, Ryan Tubridy revealed the opening episode features “a selection of people representing Ireland."
He told RTE Guide: “Sinead O’Connor, an icon; Aisling Bea, a new superstar knocking them out in the UK; and Maura Higgins from Love Island, a pop-culture phenomenon. It’s running the gamut, and that’s where The Late Late excels.”
“We’re also hoping to make a nod towards all the people who’ve served this country in uniform, which needs to be done.”
“Just to say thanks. And where else can you do that, but on the Late Late."
Before confirming the line-up, Tubs sent fans wild dropping hints about the possibility of the Longford lady joining him on the sofa on September 6.
Speaking at the RTE Autumn launch last week, he told Irish Daily Mirror: “I was watching it [Love Island] over the shoulders of youngsters no but like my feeling about that is even if you didn’t watch it, you know that even when it was going down the toilet and people were saying it was boring and it was the worst series of it, what did it take?
“It took an Irish woman from Longford to change it all.
"She goes on and suddenly the show comes alive. And not even just that it was also won by an Irish man.”
And speaking about his excitement for the first show back on screens, which will mark his 11th year as host of the show, he added: “As of midnight when we get to the end of the show on the 6 September then i’ll be the second longest serving host of the Late Late Show which is a strange mantel but a very big honour in my life.”
