The Grinch steals the spotlight as the theme for The Late Late Toy Show 2025

Hearts all across the world are about to grow three times in size – it’s nearly time for The Late Late Toy Show 2025! Marking the grand finale of a week filled with festive programming announcements, RTÉ has revealed the theme of this year’s Toy Show will be none other than the beloved Christmas favourite, The Grinch.

Tonight, audiences will be transported to Who-ville as the Toy Show stage is transformed into a world of green mischief and magic inspired by Dr Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Expect dazzling performances, plenty of toys and heartwarming moments that prove even the grumpiest of Grinches can discover the true spirit of Christmas. It will be the 300 plus children from all over Ireland, who will take to the stage tonight that will truly steal the spotlight, showcasing their talents, stories and infectious joy.

Speaking ahead of tonight, host of The Late Late Toy Show, Patrick Kielty said, “The Grinch has always been a huge part of Christmas for me and since becoming host of the Toy Show, it’s always been a dream to make him part of the best night of the year. I am so excited to share the magic of Who-ville with families all across Ireland this Toy Show. The set is spectacular, the costumes are incredible and the children are going to make it truly unforgettable. It’s a show full of heart, joy and a little bit of mischief – just as the Grinch would want!”

The opening of this year’s 2025 extravaganza will be narrated by none other than Liam Neeson who recorded a voiceover especially for this year’s show. More surprises and special guests will be revealed throughout the night, ensuring magic from beginning to end.

RTÉ production designers have designed an extraordinary set that will bring Who-ville to life, the fantastical town that started from the pages of Dr. Seuss. With its colourful, whimsical houses and a bustling town square at the centre of the action, the scene captures the magic of the Whos’ world. Complementing the set, the RTÉ Costume and Make-Up Departments have meticulously crafted every detail to immerse viewers in the vibrant imagination of Dr. Seuss. To top it all off, Patrick himself will spend hours in the make‑up chair, transforming into the spirit of Who-ville!

Children from all across Ireland will be entertaining audiences on Friday night by showcasing the fun and creativity of the games they enjoy, bringing plenty of energy and excitement to the stage. Alongside this, the much-loved book segment of the show will feature young reviewers sharing their thoughts on a variety of stories. Peppered with performances of Christmas classics and songs of the year, viewers will be singing and dancing along at home!

A list of the toys featured will be available on the show’s website www.rte.ie/latelate following the broadcast. All toys featured on the night will be donated to charities.  

RTÉ PlayerStream Free Worldwide  

In 2024, The Late Late Toy Show had a record-breaking 622,000 streamsfrom 139 countries.Stream The Late Late Toy Show from wherever you are tonight on RTÉ Player at 9:35pm.Subscribe to The Late Late Show YouTube channel for all of the best bits.

RTÉ Social Channels   Catch all the excitement from behind the scenes on the official social channels. RTÉ 2FM’s Aisling Bonner & Hugh Carr will host a 30-minute bilingual TikTok Live at 6.30pm on Friday, with access-all-areas passes! They’ll catch up with Patrick backstage, bring you on a tour of the set and meet the people who bring the greatest night of the year to life.The official hashtag is #LateLateToyShow. You can follow the Late Late Show accounts right now to make sure you don’t miss a single second of the greatest TV night of the year – @latelaterte on TikTok @latelaterte on Instagram, @RTELateLateShow on X and @TheLateLateShow on Facebook.  

Audio Description

For the first time on RTÉ, Audio Description will be available live on RTÉ One during broadcast, making it more accessible than ever and ensuring that its wonder can be shared universally. Audio Describers this year will be Clara Murray and Berni Stack. The Late Late Toy Show will be repeated on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player on Sunday, 7 December at 3:10pm with Audio Description.

ISL

The Late Late Toy Show with Irish Sign Language (ISL) will broadcast live on the RTÉ News Channel and RTÉ Player.  For the third year, our ISL coverage will feature Deaf presenters, Sarah-Jane O’Regan and Jason Maguire – working with hearing interpreters, Ciara Grant and Lisa Harvey-Coleman. The Late Late Toy Show ISL is a real celebration of Irish Sign Language, Ireland’s third official language.  The Late Late Toy Show with ISL is also repeated in the late night ISL block on Wednesday, 10 December on RTÉ One. 

The RTÉ Toy Show Appeal  

Inspired by the late Saoirse Ruane, whose courage and generosity touched the nation, the RTÉ Toy Show Appeal has raised an extraordinary €26 million since its launch in 2020, thanks to the generosity of people nationwide. Working in collaboration with Community Foundation Ireland, these funds have supported hundreds of local and national charities in every county, transforming lives and creating opportunities for children who need it most. 

Rachael Blackmore launched the 2025 RTÉ Toy Show Appeal on last week’s Late Late Show, highlighting the Jack de Bromhead Equine Centre at ChildVision, a project close to her heart that is supported by the Toy Show Appeal. The public can donate by going to www.rte.ie/toyshowappeal, or with the appeal’s official donation partner Revolut Pay.

The Late Late Toy Show airs tonight on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player at 9:35pm.

Slán go fóíll.