Patrick Kielty the second highest-paid presenter on RTE - up from third-highest a year before
Ulster comedian Paddy Kielty has appeared second on a list of RTE’s highest-paid presenters.
The list covers 2025, and reveals that £266,323 was paid to the firm Pamanco Ireland Ltd “for the services of Patrick Kielty”, who presents The Late Late Show on RTE 1.
He was just behind the RTE top earner Claire Byrne, who until recently presented the show Today with Claire Byrne on RTE Radio 1; the list says that £280,000 was paid to Derrough Media for her services.
In 2024, Mr Kielty had also been behind Ms Byrne who was earning an identical amount as 2025 – but ahead of them both had been RTE Radio 1 Liveline phone-in show presenter Joe Duffy.
He had been contracted via Claddaghgreen Ltd, which was paid £351,000 for his services.
The figures appear in RTE’s annual report, published today.
The report states: "Patrick Kielty continued to be a hit with viewers in The Late Late Show.
"RTE’s flagship show, and cultural barometer, continued to evolve under Patrick’s stewardship, proving itself to be as entertaining, important and quintessentially Irish as ever.
"This was perhaps no better demonstrated than in The Late Late Toy Show.
"An in-house production, it not only delivered a hugely successful Grinch-themed show, making it the most watched show of 2025, but also raised just under €5 million for The Toy Show Appeal.”
From Dundrum in Co Down, Mr Kielty was appointed as The Late Late Show’s presenter in May 2023.