Daniel O'Donnell says Late, Late Show decision shouldn't be swayed by gender alone

International singer Daniel O'Donnell has said that gender shouldn't dictate who becomes the next host The Late Late Show. 

The Kinncasslagh man was among the stars on the flagship show’s country music special last night as host Ryan Tubridy enters his final stretch of fronting the programme.

The 61-year-old performer who has enjoyed incredible international success told the independent.ie

that he hopes the person is found for the job gets the job regardless of gender. 

“I hope that they’ll find the person that is able for it, I suppose. Everything needs to change and this is the time. When Ryan came in, it was the same Late Late Show but it was a different approach.

"And it will be the same for this new presenter and the people around them that create the show – it’s not just about the presenter, it’s the producers and the team. They will have to put their thinking caps on as to what will be good for whoever is picked for it,” the singer said. 

The singer said he always enjoyed doing the Friday night show with Ryan and wished the presenter all the best in the future. 

Meanwhile, the country music legend has emerged as a hot favourite to replace Ryan Tubridy, according to Ladbrokes. 

The singer is no stranger to presenting, he and his wife Majella were hugely popular on the B&B roadtrip - he has also appeared in many TG4 shows. 

The singer was delighted to hear this weekend that his face will appear on a new series of An Post country music stamp booklets alongside Cliona Hagan, Nathan Carter, Philomena Begley and the late Big Tom.