While Christmas is still a few months away, preparations have commenced for the 2020 Late Late Toy Show.

Ryan Tubridy has today announced that applications have officially opened for children who are interested in taking part in this year's show as toy testers or performers. 

While these applications normally do not open until September, the RTÉ host said they are keen to get as many applications in as possible.

"Normally we open the floodgates in September, but we are opening the floodgates now. If you want to be on the Toy Show, if you are a child and you think 'I can sing I can dance, I can do mimicry, I can do magic, I am the chosen one in the entertainment world', get in touch. You don't have to be an extrovert, you don't have to be beautiful, well, you have to be beautiful inside.

"You can be introverted, extroverted, upstairs, downstairs, inside, outside, it doesn't matter, all you have to do is be a child. Before you know it, you can be talking to our elves, and you could be on The Late Late Toy Show."

This year's show will air in November and Ryan says it is going to be the “most remarkable Toy Show that we have ever put together."

"It’s going to be like something you’ve never heard or seen before. You won’t be able to even guess because I was onto the North Pole, I don’t have a direct line to your man, but I do have contacts with the diplomatic corps and the Big Man is getting very excited about having to Covid his way through Christmas. There are regulations in place this year and he made contact to say make sure the Long Fella, as he calls me, in Ireland does that show because those children need it more than ever because they deserve some sunshine in their lives," he said.

Applications can be submitted at www.rte.ie/latelate.