Speculation about who might take over from Ryan Tubridy when he departs 'The Late Late Show' at the end of this month has mounted in recent days.
Not only has the favourite Claire Byrne ruled herself out of the running, but so has Prime Time's Sarah McInerney - two names that until recently were hotly tipped to become the first female host of the world's longest-running chat show.
Now, it seems that Northern Irish comedian Patrick Kielty has nosed out in front, and comments made by both him and his wife Cat Deeley at the IFTAs last night certainly haven't dampened speculation.
Kielty was diplomatic when asked about the prospect, telling a reporter on the red carpet: "The only thing I would say about the Late Late Show is a couple of things.
"One is that it is one of the greatest TV shows on the planet. Whoever gets that gig is going to be really, really lucky. The one thing people have to remember though, is, how big shoes they are to fill."
He added: "You know, I've done a chat show before, I've done a live show before, it's hard. Whenever you've been on the Late Late Show as a guest and sat close to Ryan, you see how he does his stuff."
However, Deeley was a little more forthcoming when asked about potentially moving their family to Ireland, saying "Let's see if we can get it first, we can talk about that then."
Kielty previously presented the likes of 'Patrick Kielty Almost Live' chat show from 1999 - 2003, and occasionally presents on BBC's 'The One Show' as well as quiz show 'Debatable' in recent years.
Other names in contention include Brendan O'Connor and Baz Ashmawy.
Tubridy's final show is on May 26th, while the next season of 'The Late Late Show' begins around September.
