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Irish telly favourite tipped for plum ‘skilled comedic anchor’ role on new RTE panel show ahead of strong contenders
Producers need the midweek quiz to appeal to middle Ireland
FORMER Republic of Telly presenter Kevin McGahern is tipped to host a new comedy panel show for RTE.
Last April, the station announced plans for the “sharp-humoured” series.
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Bosses want the panel show, fronted by a “skilled comedic anchor”, to be along similar lines to BBC hits Mock The Week and Would I Lie To You.
Bookies immediately tipped comedians Joanne McNally, 41, and Deirdre O’Kane, 56, as strong contenders for the gig.
However, The Irish Sun can reveal a number of independent production companies vying to make the show for RTE have Kevin, 37, attached to their proposal.
One insider told The Irish Sun: “There’s a lot riding on it. You’ll need an experienced anchor who knows what they are doing. Kevin is one of the few presenters with the flying hours to do it.”
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Producers also need the midweek quiz to appeal to middle Ireland as it airs on RTE One — not RTE Two.
And while Kevin is best known for RTE Two panel shows like Clear History, the Cavan man won a brand new audience on Dancing With The Stars in 2023.
He was a last-minute substitute on the sixth season of the RTE One show but still managed to make it all the way to the semi-finals.
However, his chances of landing the new panel show hang in the balance.
Station insiders told us no new series are going into production until new RTE boss Steve Carson takes over as Director of Video in the coming months.
Kevin did not respond for comment from The Irish Sun on Sunday. But when asked about the new show in April, he told us: “I’m delighted RTE are doing something like this.
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“I grew up watching Monday night comedy with The Panel and Don’t Feed the Gondolas. It was great for Irish comedians and I can’t wait to see what it does for the next generation.”
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