Mary Lou McDonald and Vera Pauw to appear on Friday's Late Late Show

Kenneth Fox

In a week when she has hit the headlines, leader of the opposition and president of Sinn Féin Mary Lou McDonald joins Ryan in studio to discuss the party's performance in the polls, what a united Ireland might look like and her reaction to Shane Ross's biography about her.

It has been a big year for Republic of Ireland manager Vera Pauw as she created history by guiding the national team to its first ever appearance at a World Cup final in Australia and New Zealand next summer. She will join Ryan to talk about life since that big night in Scotland and how she is feeling about 2023.

Dancing with the Stars returns to our screens in January, and the first four celebrity dancers hoping to lift the glitter ball trophy next year will be on the show.

Singer and Eurovision star Brooke Scullion, former GAA player Paul Brogan, businesswoman, TV presenter and influencer Suzanne Jackson, and drag artist and activist Panti Bliss (aka Rory O’Neill) will be chatting to Ryan about being the class of 2023.

After nearly 50 years in the business, Lenny Henry will chat about singing with Kate Bush, writing a children's novel and an autobiography, as well as having an Irish accent in The Lord of the Rings prequel The Rings of Power.

One of last week's Toy Show superstars, Saoibh Lonergan, joins Ryan on the couch to catch up after an incredibly busy week and tells us about hanging out with her music therapist Alison, singing at Temple Street and planning her trip to Disneyland Paris.

Andrea Corr will also be live in studio to perform 'It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas' from her new release The Christmas Album while Col Patterson makes his Late Late debut performing his critically acclaimed single 'Bedford Falls'.