Patrick Kielty | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Kielty in 2017 | |
| Born | (1971-01-31)31 January 1971 (age 54) County Down, Northern Ireland |
| Occupation(s) | Comedian,[1] television and radio presenter |
| Known for | Patrick Kielty Almost Live Live at the Apollo This Morning The Late Late Show |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Website | www |
Patrick Kielty (born 31 January 1971) is a comedian, presenter and actor fromNorthern Ireland. He is the host ofThe Late Late Show onRTÉ One and presents a Saturday morning programme onBBC Radio 5 Live. His television credits include theBBC'sPatrick Kielty Almost Live andChannel 4'sLast Chance Lottery. He has also presentedITV'sLove Island andThis Morning.
Kielty has appeared in several award-winning documentaries and films, including theBAFTA nominatedMy Dad, The Peace Deal and Me,Patrick Kielty: 100 Years of Union andBallywalter.
Kielty was born and grew up in the village ofDundrum,County Down, Northern Ireland. He is one of three sons of the businessman John "Jack" Kielty, who was shot dead on 25 January 1988 by theUlster Freedom Fighters (UFF),[2][3] a cover name used byloyalist paramilitary group theUlster Defence Association (UDA). John Kielty was to have been a key witness inCentral Television's defence of a libel action brought byJim Craig, who was suing the television company over a broadcast ofThe Cook Report which connected him to racketeering, and is said to have ordered John Kielty's murder.[4] Three men, William Bell, David Curlett and Delbert Watson, were sentenced to life for the murder of Kielty but were released in 2000 under the terms of theGood Friday Agreement.[5] Craig was himself killed by the UDA in October 1988.
Kielty was a talentedGaelic footballer as a teenager and was a member of theDown GAA minor football team for three years, between 1987 and 1989. He was the substitutegoalkeeper for the team when they won the1987 All-Ireland Minor Football Championship.
Kielty began performing regularly while a pupil atSt Patrick's Grammar School, Downpatrick. Kielty was persuaded to participate by a Games master who spotted his impersonations of local politicians, celebrities, and sportsmen. His professional career started while he was still apsychology student atQueen's University Belfast. In 1991, along with his friend and fellow student Jackie Hamilton (later a BBC and independent producer), the pair visited Dublin's new stand up club The Gasworks run by performer/producer Billy Magra/McGrath. UK acts making their Irish debuts included Jo Brand, Lee Evans, Jack Dee, Stewart Lee, Mark Lamarr, Eddie Izzard and many more plus The Gasworks gave local acts like Sean Hughes, Jon Kenny/Pat Shortt and Ardal O'Hanlon their first headline shows in Dublin. After a successful opening spot (mainly doing impressions), Billy advised Kielty and Jackie to open their own comedy club in Belfast and The Empire on Botanic Avenue in Belfast was born. The following year Kielty was a finalist in a National Comedy Search organised by Billy for the Republic of Ireland's most-watched TV programmeThe Late Late Show. Another finalist, also making his TV debut, was another future star, Dylan Moran. Later the experience led to a hugely successful BBC NI seriesThe Empire Laughs Back - also produced by Jackie. One routine performed at local gigs involved donning abalaclava and making spoof paramilitary pronouncements.[6]
In 1993, Kielty presented the showSUS onUTV. He later became the warm-up act for aBBC Northern Ireland programme,Anderson on the Box, presented by local personalityGerry Anderson. When this show was axed, he presented its replacement,PK Tonight. Although this ran for only a year and was only shown in Northern Ireland, it did attract the attention of London-based broadcasters, winning him the "Best Newcomer" Award at the 1996Royal Television Society Awards. In 1997, he set up the Belfast-based TV production company Green Inc with TV director Stephen Stewart, making shows such asThe Afternoon Show,Patrick Kielty Almost Live, andAsk Rhod Gilbert. It was reported in 2010 that Kielty had sold his share in the company. Kielty graduated to presenting programmes such asLast Chance Lottery andPatrick Kielty Almost Live, broadcast throughout the UK. Following his liver transplant, former football starGeorge Best later gave his first TV interview to Kielty on the same show.
From 2001 to 2003, Kielty hosted 14 episodes of the comedy game showStupid Punts.[7] He also presented a series ofAfter The Break. He did an impersonation ofMartin McGuinness (who bore some superficial visual resemblance toArt Garfunkel) singing theSimon and Garfunkel song, "Bridge over Troubled Water".[citation needed] Kielty continued to appear on national television, mostly light-entertainment shows such as theBBC'sFame Academy,Comic Relief Does Fame Academy andLove Island forITV in both 2005 and 2006. On 21 June 2003 Kielty hosted the Opening Ceremony of the Special Olympics inCroke Park,Dublin, to a reported global audience of 800 million viewers. Other participants included Nelson Mandela, Mohammed Ali, and U2. In 2006, he hosted a segment onITV's coverage ofThe Prince's Trust 30th Birthday LIVE alongsideKate Thornton. He hosted the original pilot series of the American version ofDeal or No Deal forABC in early 2004.[8] However, ABC decided against airing the series, which ended up onNBC, with Canadian comedianHowie Mandel as host.
In 2006, Kielty returned to the stand-up scene with a new UK tour. A DVD, filmed atBelfast'sGrand Opera House, was later released. In 2007, he began work at the Trafalgar Theatre in London's West End on the UK production ofA Night in November, written by Northern Irish dramatistMarie Jones (Stones in His Pockets). He debuted in the play at the Grand Opera House in Belfast.
In 2007, he also guested on theBBC's third series ofLive at the Apollo; during this show he controversially referred to members of the Irish travelling community in derogatory terms.[citation needed] On 18 May 2007, Kielty was invited to conduct a joint in-depth TV interview at 10 Downing Street in London with UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and Irish Taoiseach Bertie Ahern to discuss the Northern Ireland peace process. He hosted the Saturday morning show onBBC Radio 2 which started on 24 July 2010 and it ran for 10 weeks. Kielty presentedSport Relief in 2010 and 2012 alongsideFearne Cotton.
Kielty was the host of the first series of Channel 4'sStand Up for the Week, which began in June 2010 and ran for six weeks.[9]
In 2012, he co-presentedThis Morning, alongsideKate Thornton for one episode andEmma Willis for three episodes.[10] In 2014 and 2015, Kielty guest hosted a few episodes ofThe One Show alongside Alex Jones.
In 2016 Kielty returned toBBC Northern Ireland to present programmes, including the comedy panel game showBad Language alongsideSusan Calman andPaul Sinha. He then hosted television documentaryPatrick Kielty's Mulholland Drive which focused on the life ofWilliam Mullholland and theCalifornia Water Wars. Kielty also reflected on his relatives' work in the Northern Irish water industry.[11] In March 2016 he began hosting a chat show for BBC NI calledDelete, Delete, Delete looking at celebrities' internet history.
In 2016, he presentedDebatable, a daily quiz show forBBC Two.
In 2018, Kielty presented a documentary,My Dad, the Peace Deal and Me forBBC Two. The programme, coinciding with the 20th anniversary of theGood Friday Agreement, explored the state ofNorthern Ireland two decades on from the Agreement. Kielty discussed the killing of his father and the effect it had on him, as well as his decision to vote Yes to the Agreement in a referendum, even though it would result in the release fromgaol of his father's killers. He also interviewed former paramilitary activists from both sides of the struggle,DUP leaderArlene Foster, school students at an integrated (non-denominational) school and Richard Moore, founder ofChildren in Crossfire who was blinded as a small boy by a rubber bullet fired by a British soldier, whom he later befriended. The documentary saw Kielty named UK documentary host of the year at the 2018Grierson Awards.[12]
In 2021, Kielty took part in theRTÉ seriesAll the Walks of Life, where he talked about his childhood and the values he holds.[13] He appeared in the filmPatrick Kielty: One Hundred Years of Union, for which he won aRoyal Television Society award for best presenter.[14]
After much speculation, on 20 May 2023, Kielty was confirmed as the new host of RTÉ'sThe Late Late Show, taking over fromRyan Tubridy and becoming the show's fourth permanent presenter.[15][16]
In January 2015, US Country starGarth Brooks gave his first UK interview to Kielty for aBBC Radio 2 special fromBoston,Massachusetts. On 13 September 2019, Kielty presentedThe News Quiz onBBC Radio 4. In August 2020, Kielty co-presentedFive Live Breakfast withRachel Burden onBBC Radio 5 Live, sitting in forNicky Campbell.
Since August 2022, Kielty has presented a Saturday morning programme onBBC Radio 5 Live.[17]
In 2022, he embarked on his first stand-up tour for seven years. The dad-of-two joked on motoring podcastFuelling Around that his Borderline show gave him the perfect opportunity to catch up on some sleep.[18]
Kielty performed in the playA Night in November in August 2007 in theGrand Opera House, Belfast, and also in productions in London and in 2008 inThe Olympia Theatre in Dublin.[19] A documentary about the production of the play starring Kielty was released in 2008.[20]
In 2023, he appeared in the filmBallywalter, playing Shane, a stand-up comic.[21] He also appeared as himself in episode one of theBBC One comedyQueen of Oz. Kielty is seen and heard on his radio programme questioning the outrageous antics of spoiled spare to the British crown, Queen Georgiana, played byCatherine Tate.
Kielty identifies asIrish andNorthern Irish, stating also that "Northern Ireland is part of the UK so that means there's a part of me that'sBritish."[22]
Kielty married English television presenterCat Deeley (his formerFame Academy co-host) in a private ceremony inRome on 29 September 2012.[23] On 29 July 2025, they announced that they had separated.[24]
Their first son was born in January 2016, and a second in June 2018.[25] Hosting theBBC Radio 5 Live afternoon show on 28 October 2020 (sitting in forNihal Arthanayake) he talked of his relationship with Deeley saying, "first find a woman out of your league and then convince her she isn't". Prior to his relationship with Deeley, Kielty was in a high-profile relationship with Irish presenter and modelAmanda Byram for five years, separating in 2003.[26]
Kielty is a lifelong fan ofManchester United.[27]
In 2010, he took part inChannel 4's Comedy Gala, abenefit show held in aid ofGreat Ormond Street Children's Hospital, filmed live at theO2 Arena in London on 30 March.[28]
Kielty has participated in every incarnation ofSoccer Aid until 2016. He plays for the 'Rest of The World' team as agoalkeeper and is typically substituted onto the field at the beginning of the second half.
After co-presentingSport Relief on two occasions in 2010 and 2012, Kielty's participation in 2015'sComic Relief telethon was confirmed when British boy bandOne Direction tweeted a short clip announcing who would be playing them in a 'No Direction' tribute for Red Nose Day. Kielty, who impersonatedNiall Horan, directed the skit in which comediansJack Dee playedLouis Tomlinson,Nick Helm becameZayn Malik,Vic Reeves took onHarry Styles andJohnny Vegas transformed intoLiam Payne.[29]
| Year | Title | Role | Network | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Last Chance Lottery | Presenter | Channel 4 | 10 episodes[30] |
| 1996 | After the Break | BBC1 | 6 episodes | |
| 1999–2003 | Patrick Kielty Almost Live | BBC Northern Ireland | 30 episodes | |
| 2002–2003 | Fame Academy | Co-presenter | BBC One | |
| 2002–2012 | Sport Relief | Co-presenter/Guest | Presented two episodes (2010, 2012) | |
| 2003–2007 | Comic Relief Does Fame Academy | Co-presenter | ||
| 2004 | Deal or No Deal | Presenter | ABC | Unaired pilot |
| 2005–2006 | Love Island | Co-presenter | ITV | Original run |
| 2006 | The Prince's Trust 30th Birthday LIVE | Host | ||
| 2006–2012 | This Morning | Guest presenter | 3 episodes | |
| 2010 | Stand Up for the Week | Presenter | Channel 4 | Series 1 (6 episodes) |
| 2010–2020 | The One Show | Guest presenter | BBC One | 42 episodes |
| 2016 | Bad Language | Presenter | 6 episodes | |
| 2016 | Patrick Kielty's Mulholland Drive | Documentary | ||
| 2016–2017 | Delete, Delete, Delete | 12 episodes | ||
| 2016–2017 | Debatable | BBC Two | 58 episodes | |
| 2018 | My Dad, the Peace Deal and Me | BBC One | Documentary[31][32][33] | |
| 2019 | The News Quiz | Guest presenter | BBC Radio 4 | 1 episode |
| 2021 | Patrick Kielty: One Hundred Years of Union | Presenter | BBC One | Documentary |
| 2022–present | Patrick Kielty | BBC Radio 5 Live | Saturday morning slot (9-11am) | |
| 2023–present | The Late Late Show | RTÉ One |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007–2008 | A Night in November | Kenneth Norman McCallister | Stage play |
| 2023 | Ballywalter | Shane | Feature film |
| Queen of Oz | Himself | Episode: "There's a New Queen in Town" |
I mean for me it sits really easy for me. I'm Irish and Northern Irish. Northern Ireland is part of the UK so that means there's a part of me that's British.
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| Preceded by | Host ofThe Late Late Show 2023–present | Incumbent |
| International | |
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| National | |
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