Ryan Tubridy revealed meetings have been taking place within RTE to plan the Late Late Toy Show theme already and the future return of studio audiences.
After a year of presenting the show in an empty studio in Donnybrook, the top paid RTE presenter said he is hopeful that the Friday night chat show will welcome back a live audience soon.
And teasing fans with information about the show’s plans for the future, including the highly anticipated Toy Show theme, he also reiterated his promise that frontline workers will be the first to be invited when the studio doors open again.
Speaking on his RTÉ Radio 1 show, the Dubliner said: "I had two intriguing meetings yesterday.
“One was a Toy Show meeting to discuss the theme for the next Toy Show in November and that went very well, very very exciting and again innovation."
He began, as he teased details of the annual show seven months before it is set to air.
"But the other meeting, not only about this Friday's Late Late Show but projecting into the future, talks about audiences.
“And I'm still... We are all hungry to have an audience back every Friday and I think we are edging closer and closer to it.
"I mean, I don't know, we have been told nothing to that effect, other than just my own hope. But, I just think the way things are going, we could certainly be looking at an audience.”
Looking forward to the return of faces in front of him, particularly those he has already promised to the frontline workers, he added: "By hook or by crook, we could have 200.
“My promise has been and continues to be that the first audience would be frontline workers only, to say thanks. That stands and they are all vaccinated.
"So, we will see how it goes. But that's the plan.
“It's going to be a fascinating summer, that's for sure."
Like many shows worldwide, Tubs has been presenting the Late Late Show without a live audience since March of last year due to Covid-19 restrictions.
But there was still ‘one for everyone in the audience’ at the Late Late Toy Show last year, as they included a virtual audience from all around the world.
