The biggest ever Toy Show airs tonight – with 320 children from all over Ireland taking part.
This year’s theme is another Disney great; The Jungle Book.
As always, a number of charities have been invited to nominate children to visit the set in advance of tonight’s show. This year children from: LauraLynn Children’s Hospice; Heart Children Ireland; Our Lady’s Children Hospital, Crumlin; Barretstown and Jack and Jill Children’s Foundation will get to enjoy a sneak preview of the set and play with the toys. Their visit to the set will be captured on camera and broadcast during the show.
All the toys featured on the show will be donated to charity following the broadcast.
Seven-year-old Mia was asked how she felt in advance of her ballet performance and said: "Amazing", adding she expectyed to wake up this morning full of excitement about her turn in the spotlight.
The show will open with host Ryan Tubridy and a cast of 72 young performers performing an opening number drawn from The Jungle Book.
Late Late Toy Show host Ryan Tubridy said: “I am tremendously excited that we are doing The Jungle Book this year. It’s a great classic, a real family favourite and something which I think everyone can enjoy whether they’re young or old, boy or girl. I may not be the king of the singers but I hope that for a couple of hours tonight people will get a chance to settle down with the family and forget all about their worries and their strife”.
This year the countdown to The Late Late Toy Show kicks off live on Facebook. TV presenter Baz Ashmawy will bring viewers an exclusive look at what’s going on behind the scenes as Tubs and company get ready to go live to the nation. The Late Late Toy Show: The Final Countdown will start at 8pm sharp on RTÉ One’s Facebook page.
The Late Late Toy Show airs tonight at 9.35pm on RTÉ One.