AS ANOTHER FRIDAY night rolls around, a bit of light banter might help to break up the monotony.

With the evenings getting darker, there’s no better night to sit on the couch and enjoy some quality chat shows. 

• The Late Late Show, RTÉ One, 9.35pm

Ireland’s Paralympians returned home from Tokyo to a hero’s welcome this week having won four golds medals, two silvers and a bronze. The celebrations continue tonight as Jason Smyth, Ellen Keane, Nicole Turner, Gary O’Reilly, Katie-George Dunlevy and Eve McCrystal will be joining Ryan to chat about their success and homecomings.

Singer Samantha Mumba, who made her Late Late debut during 1995′s Toy Show, is back on our screens tonight to talk about her new role as a judge on the Last Singer Standing. The new karaoke-themed game show will see singers from around Ireland compete to impress fellow judges Nadine Coyle and Joey Fatone for a €25,000 prize.

Ireland Rugby Coach Paul O’Connell will be on to discuss how he finds life on the sideline and the new challenges he is facing now that he is back with the national team.

Comedian Joanne McNally is also on tonight to chat about the successful podcast she hosts with Vogue Williams, My Therapist Ghosted Me. She’ll be sharing why her therapist ghosted her exactly, and her experience being kicked off a celebrity dating site.

Meanwhile, David McBride and Helen Ward were left as babies on either side of the Irish border only to find each other over 50 years later through the help of DNA testing and the ITV programme Long Lost Family. One year later, they’ve discovered that they have another sibling who was left in a phonebox in Drogheda in 1965. They’ll be sharing their story with Ryan later.

Music tonight comes courtesy of Orla Gartland who will be performing You’re Not Special Babe from her new album Woman on The Internet.

Hermitage Green will also be premiering their new single Got to Give ahead of their string of Irish gigs next month.

And if you’re wondering when Graham Norton is back on the BBC, wonder no more.

The new season kicks off on Friday 24 September with a No Time to Die special. Stars of the upcoming Bond film – Daniel Craig, Rami Malek, Léa Seydoux, and Lashana Lynch – will join Graham, along with musical guest Ed Sheeran.

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