BOTH PRESENTERS FROM Virgin Media’s Tonight Show have confirmed that they will depart from the television station after the election. 

In separate statements, Ciara Doherty and Claire Brock confirmed today that Saturday night’s election special will be their last time fronting the late-night politics programme.

In a post on Instagram, Ciara Doherty said that after 14 “brilliant years” she had made the decision to move on from the show and station.

“I’ve decided to move on from late nights and early mornings to begin a new adventure,” Doherty said.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ciara (@ciaradvmtv)

In similar fashion, Claire Brock shared the news of her departure across social media, saying it had “been a privilege to work alongside brilliant colleagues and friends over many years in Ballymount”.

This weekend I will present my last Tonight Show, as I’ve made the decision to move on from the role, and from Virgin Media Television,” Brock said in the post across social media.

Some news to share 👇This weekend I will present my last show @TonightVMTV. During my career in the newsroom I’ve been fortunate to have enjoyed incredible opportunities with the very best team of colleagues @VirginMediaNews pic.twitter.com/SIgYgVRCiK

— Claire Brock (@ClaireBrockTV) November 29, 2024

The announcements come less than one month after Virgin Media cut the flagship current-affairs programme from four nights a week to two.

In a statement in October addressing the reduction in weekly episodes, Virgin Media Television’s managing director Áine Ní Chaoindealbháin said the station “remains committed to public service broadcasting and will continue to invest in our news and current affairs output”.

“However, due to challenging market conditions and the fact that our ask of government to financially support our public service content has not been met, we have been forced to make the difficult decision to reduce The Tonight Show weekly output.”

The Tonight Show is one of Ireland’s most viewed current-affairs programmes, and played host to a wide variety of politicians during the general election campaign.

Earlier this month, the Independent Broadcasters of Ireland called for “meaningful” government support for the sector after Virgin Media announced the reduction in its weekly output of The Tonight Show.

The Independent Broadcasters of Ireland added that this reduction in output “reflects the real pressures throughout the sector”.