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19th May 2025
12:03pm BST
Earlier this month, RTÉ darling Joe Duffy announced his departure from Liveline after 37 years at the station.
As the dust settles on the announcement, the nation has emerged from their collective mourning to speculate about who might become the new host.
Predictably, there are some radio heavyweights in the mix - Anton Savage, Katie Hannon, Claire Byrne - and while they might all make fine Liveline hosts, we believe it couldn't hurt to look outside the box.
With that in mind, we've rounded up eight unconventional personalities we would like to see step into Joe's shoes.
Michael Fry's early bedroom sketches are a testament to his ability to host a versatile range of shows - from Girl Talk with Michael Girl to Celebration Talk with Michael Yay to Country Talk with Michael Country - so Michael Liveline is, naturally, the next move.
Listeners of I'm Grand Mam will already be familiar with PJ and Kevin's capacity to tackle tricky subjects with empathy, energy and their trademark sense of humour. Could "Hi girlies" become the new "Talk to Joe"? Let's hope so.
Another Cork diva we'd welcome on the airwaves is Fionnuala Jones. We can already see the podcast host doing a deep-dive into callers' problems - and calling out flops along the way.
RTÉ, if you're reading, if you hire Joanne McNally to host Liveline, the 'pinotphiles' will flock to the nearest radio straight from the Prosecco Express. Trust us, her no-nonsense approach to callers will add a whole new energy to daytime radio.
If Ireland has an IT girl, it's Keelin Moncrieff. Keelin is a seasoned podcaster who approaches tricky topics with nuance and empathy, and what more could you want in a Liveline host?
Shane Daniel Byrne effortlessly slips into an uncanny Irish radio voice on The Young Hot Guys podcast, so he'd be a natural fit. Plus, he'd get to share an office with his beloved Claire Byrne.
Listen, Jack Swift could read the dictionary on-air and we would tune in. Enough said.
Feature image via Keelin Moncrieff and Kevin Twomey on Instagram.
