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TALK TO WHOM?
That is the question on the lips of bosses at RTÉ Radio One looking to fill the Joe Duffy-sized hole at the presenter chair of Liveline.
Duffy, who announced that he will retire at the end of June after 27 years hosting one of the most-popular radio programmes in the country, is, it’s fair to say, a much-admired broadcaster renowned for having the ‘common touch’ with callers and an innate ability to make a connection down the phoneline.
So, who is best suited to take over the reins of Liveline? Or will the broadcaster scrap the 40-year-old programme?
Hannon regularly fills in for Duffy during the summer holidays and manages the unpredictability of the show well.
She is currently the bookies’ favourite for the role. The journalist’s schedule might be full with her role on ‘Upfront’ and the station’s new podcast series.
The Irish Times’ radio reviewer Mick Heaney has said the Co Kerry native seems ‘at home‘ answering the public’s calls, and labelled her a ‘natural in the Liveline seat‘ in 2021.
Ó Mongáin has 19 years of experience at RTÉ and a record of hosting shows such as the Late Debate and his weekend programmes, that sometimes share a similar unpredictable nature in debate and discussion.
He first filled in for Duffy on Liveline in 2023 and has returned to present the show a number of times since, but his career has been defined in roles in the hard-news section of RTÉ – making him a less-likely candidate.
Boucher Hayes has also been a stand-in for Duffy and, like the exiting presenter, has a history of challenging and questioning to get to the bottom of a story.
In recent years the presenter has been reporting on Ireland’s climate action and presenting programmes on climate change. Boucher Hayes has also conducted a number of well-received ‘deep dive’ podcasts and radio programmes.
The Irish Mirror reported today that Zamparelli is in contention for the role as Duffy’s replacement. She previously told the same newspaper that she would be honoured to do so. She has, however, accepted that it would be “very difficult shoes to fill”.
Who knows? Maybe Tubridy and RTÉ Radio One will bury the hatchet. The broadcaster, who left the station following the 2023 payments scandal, is being tipped as an outside shot by bookmakers.
Broadcaster O’Callaghan is one of the few presenters on this list who has not expressed an interest in or filled in for Duffy’s job before.
The Dubliner might have her hands full presenting current affairs show Prime Time and a Sunday RTÉ Radio One programme, but that has not stopped punters from placing their bets on the presenter.
As Duffy himself said upon the announcement of his retirement yesterday, the programme has been running for 40 years, 27 of which he has been in the hotseat for.
With that, it can be hard to think of someone who might be capable enough to fill his shoes full time. Separately, as the Irish Independent reported last year, there is a significantly different mood at the station since the 2023 payments scandal.
RTÉ is also currently in its first round of voluntary layoffs and approaches the deadline to implement salary caps later on this year. It could be easier for the station to cut its losses and celebrate the victory of Liveline, and leave it at that.
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